President Ali announces; urges Guyanese to pay attention to official channels of information amidst border controversy
OWING to the fear-mongering amidst the Venezuela-Guyana border controversy, President, Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that public awareness and education strategies will be rolled out soon, especially in bordering communities.
During a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Saturday, the President addressed the burning question as to how those residing in bordering communities will be kept abreast with the current state of affairs and not be misled by social media.
“That is where the communication strategy comes in, the public awareness strategy and the education strategy [comes in],” he said.
The Head of State went on to say: “So, we have a lot of plans in the upcoming weeks that will bring awareness to our population about the controversy, educating the people on the topic.
“On [December 3], for example, we have a series of activities… that includes sending a strong national unified message from Guyana to those participating in the referendum.”
Notwithstanding this, the President said that robust engagements are ongoing between the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and bordering communities.
Expounding more on the point of social media being used as a vehicle by many to drive fear into the minds of Guyanese, President Ali referenced fake press releases being circulated on social media and called on citizens to only rely on the Government of Guyana, the GDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for information.
“I can assure members of the public that we are actively [and] continuously ensuring domain awareness. And I want to commend our men and women in uniform for the work that they’re doing, and the type of information set that allows us to be confident in what we’re doing.
“I believe strongly that there is no fear that should be driven in the Guyanese people or in your psyche at this moment,” the President emphasised.
Recently, old videos have been circulated on various social media platforms such as Tik Tok. Some of these videos take the shape of military operations from both Guyana and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, responding directly to reports of residents in border communities being urged to move away, the President said this should not be.
“There is absolutely no reason to move from anywhere. That is the type of fear-mongering that people are pushing on social media, but there is absolutely no reason [to move] and the Guyana Defence Force is working very steadily, and as I said before, I am confident in their ability, the work they are doing and the type of discussions we are having with our partners,” the Head of State said.
The genesis of the controversy goes back to the 1899 Arbitral Award, a landmark decision that delineated the land boundary between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela.
However, despite the historic arbitration, tensions have persisted, with Venezuela repeatedly challenging the validity of the award.
In 2018, Guyana took a decisive step by approaching the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking affirmation of the legitimacy of the 1899 Arbitral Award.
Venezuela, taking a defiant stance, initially claimed the ICJ lacked jurisdiction, a contention flatly rejected by the international court in a crucial ruling in December 2020. The door was thus opened for the ICJ to delve into the merit of the substantive case.
Recent developments have heightened the geopolitical situation, as Venezuela, through its National Electoral Council, unveiled plans for a “Consultative Referendum” on December 3, 2023.
Guyana contends that this move is a thinly veiled attempt by Venezuela to gather support for abandoning the ongoing ICJ proceedings, and unilaterally assert control over the Essequibo region.
In response, Guyana swiftly approached the ICJ seeking urgent provisional measures to prevent any action by Venezuela that could jeopardise the status quo until the court reaches a final verdict on the matter.
The ICJ is expected to rule on Guyana’s request for provisional measures to prevent Venezuela from proceeding with its planned referendum on the Essequibo. Meanwhile, the substantive case, highlighting the historical context and the 1899 Arbitral Award, remains before the court.
