EVEN as President Granger makes a case defending Guyana’s territorial integrity to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at that body’s 36th Heads of Government meeting in Barbados, at home, Acting President Moses Nagamootoo has reassured Guyanese and the international community that “in the face of provocation, our Guyana is not without friends.” “We are not daunted,” Mr. Nagamootoo told a gathering Thursday night at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston at a U.S Embassy-hosted reception for that country’s 239th Independence, “as we strengthen national and international collaboration in defence of our sovereignty and [further] promote the Caribbean and South America as a zone of peace.”
“Our Government will continue to work towards adherence to agreements that respect our territorial integrity and that guarantee our sovereignty,” the acting President continued. “In this regard, our Government acknowledges the continued valued support offered by the Government of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Caribbean Community, and other friendly nations and organisations for Guyana’s pursuit of a happy life for our people within secure borders.”
While Mr. Nagamootoo spoke on the “spurious threats to our territorial integrity” as a challenge to building Guyana’s new democracy, he assured the gathering that like the 239-year-old United States, “we too are optimistic that we can achieve greatness when we harness the creativity of our people and utilize our vast wealth and resources in the manner that the USA has done to promote social and economic development.”
Over in Barbados, President Granger is making a case to the Caribbean Community to unequivocally support Guyana’s territorial integrity since according to him, a threat to the integrity of Guyana is a threat to the whole CARICOM union.
In his address to the regional Heads of Government last evening, President Granger recalled the provocation faced by Guyana and investors in Guyana seeking to develop this country’s exclusive economic zone in its maritime waters.
To that end, the President told the gathering at the 36th Heads of Government Conference “even as this country [Guyana] approaches its 50th Independence Anniversary, with its sister Barbados, it is doing so with a ‘monkey on its back’.”
“Any state,” the President said in his address,“that systematically, cynically and sedulously seeks to repudiate solemn international agreements and to undermine the security and sovereignty of another state must be condemned. Our national boundaries have been recognised internationally.”
President Granger reminded the heads that Venezuela had once again, as was done for some time, utilised intimidation and the threat of the use of force even as that country clearly holds superior wealth, military, and naval resources as compared to Guyana.
In the presence of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, Commonwealth, and CARICOM, President Granger reaffirmed “Guyana, today and for all time, will pursue the principles of mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
President Granger warned of Guyana being seen as miniature and marginal without the support of CARICOM, but called on leaders of the smaller Caribbean territories to “re-engage the rest of the hemisphere as a natural family, as natural ally, and as a force for peace and international law.”