HIS Excellency President, David Granger will today wrap up an official state visit to the Andean State of the Republic of Chile. This visit, innocuous though it may seem, bears all the hallmarks of historic geopolitical significance and advance planning to strengthen Guyana’s alliances against an aggressive neighbour.In view of Venezuela’s unjust harangue with regard to Essequibo, that a prominent South American state has warmly received our Head of State strikes two diplomatic blows in favour of Guyana. First it says to Venezuela, unequivocally, that Chile respects Guyana as currently constituted and is in our corner.

Back off Maduro
Had Chile harboured any reservations about the legitimacy of Guyana’s position with regard to the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy, a state visit accorded to President Granger would have been unlikely. Caracas would be taking dutiful note of the diplomatic overtures from Santiago and would recognise that Chile is in no mood to support President Nicolas Maduro’s bullyism towards Guyana, or, as described by President Granger when he delivered an address to the United Nations General Assembly in September last, actions that constitute a “scandalous revival of the conquistadorial disease that once plagued its (Venezuela’s) own history. They are a crime against our humanity, clothed in the verbiage of national honour.” In plain Guyanese street language, Chile accepting our Head of State for an official state visit says to Caracas and President Maduro “back off”.

Demonstration of confidence
Secondly, that our fellow South American state has received President Granger is a tacit nod to the people of Guyana that Chile views Guyana’s democracy as stable. Further it suggests that Chile sees our Coalition Government as not only properly and duly elected as the world has accepted, despite sporadic, politically motivated, marginal, local protestations, mainly by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), but also that the administration of the state is in capable hands. It is a demonstrable vote of confidence in Guyana’s current administration.

State visits are no ordinary affair. They are not only constituted of the pomp and ceremony of parades and March passes, but they are usually the foundation for bilateral cooperation – political and economic. One of the highlights of President Granger’s visit would have been when he and his host, President Michelle Bachelet signed a Reciprocal Visa Abolition Agreement, which will allow for non-visa travel between the two states. This is another demonstration of confidence in Guyana and the Guyanese economy on two levels.

Tourism signal
Firstly the Chilean government is signaling to their citizenry that Guyana is a possible destination for eco-tourism. Guyana will now be on the radar of Chilean tourists. With a Chilean population of over 18million, additional arrivals from our continental colleague nation can add a fillip to Guyana’s tourist arrivals. Notably this follows the recent establishment of a Chilean embassy here in Georgetown, another tangible indication that Chile views Guyana as a significant player within South America and the Caribbean worthy of being home to a Chilean diplomatic mission.

Secondly it reaffirms Chile’s confidence in Guyana that Guyanese are no longer fleeing Guyana as was the case for significant periods under both previous post-independence administrations. Chile is reasonably assured that the abolition of visa travel will not lead to an influx of Guyanese into their country as Guyanese, despite facing some internal challenges are increasingly finding favour with remaining in Guyana and are hopeful that the good life is on the horizon.

Strengthening continental relations
Further, with Chile being an influential associate member of Mercosur, whose full members are Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, Santiago is a critical ally for Guyana, not only on the trade front but also diplomatically, particularly with the instability of leadership in Venezuela. Guyana and Chile are two of three colleague states (the other is Suriname) who are members of UNASUR, who are not full members of either the Mercosur Trade Bloc or the Andean Community (another South American trading bloc which has a cooperation agreement with Mercosur).

It is therefore prudent that the two states would seek to strengthen relations at a juncture when continental, and especially world political landscapes have shown indications of shifting away from traditional positions of unity. We need not look further than BREXIT for evidence of these shifting dynamics. But other examples exist in the form of the baffling announcement by recently elected mercurial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte that he was ‘separating from the United States’.

UN alliances
Building strategic alliances with influential world players can never start early enough and no potential opportunity can be missed when a small state such as ours faces aggression from a larger neighbour against whom we will require the support and protection of the United Nations in general and its Secretary General in particular. As President Granger outlined to the UN General Assembly last month, “The United Nations cannot be a dispassionate party to a threat to peace anywhere and a challenge to the law of nations. Venezuela’s territorial claim is such a challenge. It strikes at the heart of the United Nations, its trusteeship of the law of nations and the Charter which the Secretary General upholds.
Guyana, a small state, must look to the United Nations for protection against threats to its security, for intervention for peace and for respect for international law.” In President Bachelet, Guyana has a sympathetic and understanding friend.