(Analysis by Rickey Singh)

THE ink had hardly dried on the 23-page communiqué issued on the just-concluded CARICOM summit in Barbados, when there came a dramatic deterioration in political relations between Guyana and its border neighbour, Venezuela. An original  controversial decree by the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, unilaterally annexing  part of Guyana’s territorial waters in  the Atlantic Ocean, was at the centre of tense diplomatic manoeuvrings that involved the Community’s Heads of Government and Venezuela’s Vice President, as well as its Foreign Minister, during the three-day 36th CARICOM summit hosted by Barbados’ Prime Minister, Fruendel Stuart.
The communiqué on the summit had already been released prior to President Maduro’s scheduled address on Monday night, when he made the surprising announcement to recall his ambassador to Guyana and to also reduce the size of his country’s embassy in Georgetown.
This unexpected development would have serious negative impact not only for Guyana/Venezuela relations, but also wider consequences for CARICOM states in their dealings with the Maduro administration in view of their unequivocal condemnation of the Presidential decree that annexed demarcated Guyanese territorial waters.
Though originally expected for at least the opening session of the summit and subsequent private talks, President Maduro sent his Vice-President and Foreign Minister. Host Prime Minister and chairman, Freundel Stewart, had also structured dialogues between Guyana’s new President, David Granger, and visiting dignitaries, in addition to some Heads of Government.
Given CARICOM’s known documented support to Guyana in its old, pre-independence territorial dispute with successive Venezuelan Administrations in Caracas, there were no surprises to the 15-member Community’s reaffirmation of commitment to support without seeking any  political quid pro quos.
Nevertheless, some leading delegates, who prefer anonymity for now, noted that CARICOM, as a bloc of countries, with historical friendly relations also with Venezuela, cannot ignore the implications of “external powers with significant political clout” undermining that nation’s sovereignty by continuing manoeuvres to “undermine the democratically-elected Government of President Maduro… “
Prior to President Maduro’s announcement to recall Venezuela’ ambassador to Guyana and reduce the size of its diplomatic mission, some CARICOM leaders were talking of pursuing initiatives for a delegation to visit the capitals of  both neighbouring states to promote dialogue in  a climate free of political/cultural hostilities.
CARICOM has historically been committed to supporting Guyana in its dispute with Venezuela that dates back to a 19th century colonial claim, under British rule.
At one stage, the late Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, became integrally involved in the formulation of what came to be known as the “Port-of-Spain Protocol,” that kept the political lid on the dispute as other initiatives were pursued to maintain a climate of peace and good neighbourliness.
(Reprinted courtesy yesterday’s Trinidad Express).
Rickey Singh is a noted Caribbean journalist based in Barbados.