We bond when there is ‘brabble’ over our border

OVER the years, intensity of tensions surrounding the border issue has waxed and waned. We experienced periods of calm and co-operation to the point where even a rum shop ‘gyaff’ and formal whispers about “people from foreign places talking bout taking over” were scarce and muted. Then, at other times, tensions were so hot that there were man-in-the-street rumours of impending invasion of Guyana. At the cursory level, it would appear that Guyana has been going with the flow. One gets the feeling that we have taken the “let sleeping dogs lie” approach.
We ent about to start something, if dem ent saying nutten. We doan have to do nutten, but once dem talk up, we ready.

The October 3, 1899 border settlement agreement was arrived at through aggressive diplomacy on the part of Venezuela which initiated and agreed to the process of arbitration. As the story goes, Venezuela was expecting more than the 35,000 or so square miles that were shaved from the British demarcation and awarded to them. With lingering dissatisfaction, President Ignacio Andrade signed the agreement with Britain. This should’ve once and for all made the borders permanent and settled in international law. Incidentally, Ignacio Andrade lost power two weeks later following a military coup.

For about 63 years, the issue remained mute until around 1962 when Venezuela declared that it will no longer abide by the settlement. This was most likely in response to Guyana’s move towards independence. The thinking across the border was, before the British hand over Guyana, let us have another piece, after all, we weren’t satisfied the first time around.
Since that time, Guyana has been far from docile and ‘go with the flow’. Guyana has always been agile, potent and aggressive on the diplomatic front. Our leadership on the issue has been robust, so much so that the boughs of international affirmation are bent in our direction. On its part, Venezuela sensing its lack of legitimacy within international legal framework, has resorted to unilateral acts of aggression. As it would seem, Venezuela has two general approaches to their aggression.

There was a political pact between opposition and government in Venezuela to hold general election in 2024. The opposition is about to hold primaries across the country to select its presidential candidate. The planned referendum on the annexation of Essequibo is Maduro’s way of overshadowing these primaries and gain legitimacy among voters. It is possible for Maduro to drum up voter support in this way due to years of sustained cultic education to the Venezuelan people. The average person believes that Essequibo is their lost state that will be returned in their lifetime. Whichever leader makes that possible is a national hero.

It is heartening to see the government and opposition in Guyana are of one mind, full stars. I have every confidence that the government will hold to its promise to share accurate information on Venezuelan migration along with latest developments around the border issues in real time. For its part, the Government led by President Ali acted magnanimously from the day it took office by retaining the services of Carl Greenidge, despite the fact that he served as minister in the Burnham, Hoyte and Granger administrations, and at the time of his retainment was a senior member of the PNC.

The impending parliamentary resolution should make strong and resolute statements about our commitment to defending our territorial integrity. That said, I am a hardliner, we cannot use kid’s gloves to treat with this issue. There are two things I would like to see happen:
1. Making and circulating information or images depicting the annexation of Essequibo to Venezuela should be made a crime. The police should have the power to cease and detain propagation mediums pending a court order of forfeiture or disposal. In this way, attempts to spread propaganda in Guyana will be met with stern action by anyone attempting to do so.

2. End dual citizenship between Venezuela and Guyana. Anyone who wants to become a citizen of Guyana must first renounce citizenship in Venezuela and anyone who acquires Venezuelan citizenship atomically loses Guyanese citizenship. Just in case Venezuela persists with issuing ID cards to Guyanese, our citizens who drink the cool aid must know that while it is their free choice to accept Venezuelan citizenship, they will lose Guyanese citizenship and can be expelled from the country with their Venezuelan ID or passports.
What do you make of it?