Dear Editor,
HIS Excellency President David Granger should be commended for his brave move to resolve the Essequibo border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela at the United Nations forum.

The only other President who tried to bring this issue to a close was the late Linden Forbes Samson Burnham, and that after Venezuelan troops had invaded Ankoko on October 12, 1965.
No other President had ever tried to bring an end to this controversy; although it existed for centuries, the others felt we were safe and Venezuela would turn a blind eye to the issue, but they were wrong.

Rewind, the Ankoko affairs and the Rupununi uprising and you will come to realize that the Venezuelan governments, past and present, mean business. All eyes are on our wealth in the Essequibo region, these people will not shy away from our minerals, they know that Essequibo is rich with petroleum and other resources.

Thus the border issue will not be settled unless Venezuela gets hold of our Essequibo; but we will not allow Venezuela to invade our land and take our wealth. We must be prepared for a long, difficult and dangerous struggle in which we will, of necessity, meet with setbacks and disappointments; but given our genuine commitment to the cause, we will win out in the end.

Our cause is worthwhile; it is nothing less than a struggle to liberate the country and people from the shackles of the Venezuelans and their brutish indignities.
Essequibo is richly endowed with natural resources, which can create the appropriate base for Guyana’s prosperity. Essequibo, like Venezuela, has fertile land, extensive forest, vast mineral resources, mighty rivers and an abundance of petroleum below the waters.

We have travelled a long way from the harsh, unlovely days of colonialism. We still have a long way to go to attain our goal, but we are marching now. We have the people, we have the will in President David Granger, and we are the motivating force to defeat Venezuela.

We must never forget that Venezuela has made many incursions within our western border, and took control of the strategic position of Ankoko island, then they began annexing it in front of our eyes. After the annexation, the Venezuelan Consulate was invaded by Guyanese. The Venezuelan flag was burnt, and vociferous demonstration took place in front of the consulate in Middle Street, Georgetown.

Here, again, Venezuela is allowed to violate international agreements as she pleases, and flout the United Nations and the Geneva Agreement.
The Venezuelan President called for one-on-one talks with President Granger, but it is talk that substitutes the war ship, helicopter and armoured cars and gunboats with soldiers ready for battle. Intensive movement of troops and equipment were reported on the western border of Guyana. I remember when I was living in Venezuela, the opening and closing of the television shows have Essequibo included on their maps. The leaders of that country were teaching their young and old generations that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela.

When I viewed the aforementioned display, I realized that it was a deliberate attempt by the Government of Venezuela to retard the economic development of Guyana through intimidation of persons, organisations or governments genuinely prepared to contribute to the development of Guyana and to assist in the advancement of the economic well-being of its people.

Yours faithfully
Mohamed Khan