– River bridge as symbol for wider Caribbean business
A NEW milestone in growing Brazil-Guyana relations was reached last week with the ceremonial commissioning of a bridge across the Takutu River that marks the first ever physical link between that Latin American colossus and the sole English-speaking nation in the continent of South America.

The historic event, financed by Brazil, involved Guyanese technical expertise and cooperation in joint establishment of multi-purpose complexes on both sides of the border, including customs, immigration, security and hotel facilities.

Inauguration of the estimated 721-foot long and 46-foot wide bridge in the southeast of Guyana’s sprawling Essequibo region, connects the old cattle town of Lethem and the northern states of Brazil, in particular its land-locked state of Roraima.

The project has been hailed by the Brazilian President, Inacio Lula da Silva, and Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo as the “fulfillment of a dream.” It has been in the making for some six years.

For President da Silva, who is preparing to host early next year the first CARICOM-Brazil Summit, the Takutu bridge heralds the first in a series of initiatives for greater bilateral and wider regional development cooperation.

Comparatively a small project for a huge Latin American nation and emerging economic powerhouse in the G-20 Group, the Takutu bridge, as viewed by da Silva, “physically incorporates, once and for all” Guyana into South America, and “serves as the pathway for Brazil into the Caribbean…”

Guyana would have good reason to have Brazil committed to sharing its economic development goals and good neighbourly policy, considering historical disputes with two other neighbouring states –Venezuela on its western border, and Suriname in its eastern region.

Brazil has shown keen interest in financing the paving of an earth road that links Lethem in the Rupununi with the bauxite mining town of Linden, from where a modern road network leads into the Guyanese capital city, Georgetown.

A Brazilian technical mission is due to travel to Guyana by this month-end to assess the financial requirements of the Lethem-Linden road project.

Once completed, the road will establish the infrastructure for a total link between Boa Vista, capital city of the Brazilian state of Roraima, and Georgetown, with an expansion, said President da Silva, of “development prospects between Guyana and the entire northern region of Brazil.”

This would reduce at least six of some 12 hours in travelling time to Georgetown, and with much improved conditions that could help boost tourism and commerce between Brazil and Guyana.

Venezuelan-connection

However, while Guyana-Brazil relations assume an encouraging expanding profile in development cooperation, there continues to be concerns over an apparent lack of evidence of new initiatives to remove Venezuela’s barrier to Guyanese economic development of its mineral and forest-rich Essequibo region.

The problem resides in an age-old 19th Century claim by its economically and militarily strong Spanish-speaking neighbour that claims some three-fifths of Guyana’s 83,000 square miles.

It’s a claim long dismissed by an international tribunal, which had ruled back in 1899 existing borders that reflect a “full, perfect and final settlement” by virtue of the 1987 Treaty of Washington, signed by a then Venezuelan government.

For all the rhetoric of ‘friendship’ and ‘cooperation’ in Caracas and Georgetown, the reality is that while there have been some encouraging gestures from President Hugo Chavez (in contrast to the belligerence of previous governments in Caracas), Guyana continues to suffer from lack of capacity to interest economic development in the Essequibo as a direct consequence of Venezuela’s territorial barrier.

At this time of worsening economic crisis, when the challenge to attract foreign investment appears much greater, it is felt by independent observers who appreciate the importance good relations between Georgetown and Caracas, that the Guyana Government ought to consider pushing the so-called ‘envelope’ in the direction of Venezuela in its best national interest.

UN Good Officer Girvan: While no official confirmation could be obtained at the time of writing, it was reliably learnt that the well-known Caribbean economist, Dr Norman Girvan has been chosen to be the new United Nations ‘Good Officer’ to mediate in dialogues between Venezuela and Guyana on matters arising from the Venezuelan claim to most of Guyanese territory.

Once officially announced by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, the new ‘Good Officer’, a former Secretary- General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), will be the third Caribbean national to have been so appointed by mutual consent of Guyana and Venezuela.

The previous two were the distinguished Sir Alister McIntyre, former CARICOM Secretary-General, and the diplomat and jurist, Oliver Jackman who died in January 2007, with no new appointment made since.

Meanwhile, last Friday, as top Brazilian and Guyanese military personnel were engaged in their ‘Seventh Bi-lateral Staff Conference’ in Brasilia, the Guyana Government was preparing for a two-day official visit, starting October 2, by Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Edison Lobao.