“But man, proud man,
Dress’d in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d”
William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”
ONE of the most popular quotes taken from the writings of Alexander Pope in 1709, has been in use since then, always in a cynical way.
It goes like this: “A little learning can be a dangerous thing.” What Pope meant was that the little learning you have can cloth you with the delusion that you know more about the subject you expound on, but you actually know nothing about it.
After Guyana signed a contract with ExxonMobil and oil began to pump, we saw a plethora of “experts” on petroleum engineering, international oil markets, international negotiations, and climate science.

When you ran a check on the curriculum vitae of these people, you found they were no experts at all; just people with a tiny idea about oil. And this tiny idea becomes a delusion that they have knowledge about the subject they dwell on.
The identical situation exists after President Maduro initiated his referendum of Guyana’s territory of Essequibo. We are now seeing in this country “experts” on international relations, international realpolitik and political theory.
One well known letter-writer, particularly in the Stabroek News has suggested that Venezuela and Guyana should seek dialogue based on a statement former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made on his official trip to Guyana.

It is said that President Chavez echoed the sentiment that the border issue was an imperialist design by the Americans to create strife between Venezuela and Guyana. To discuss the current Venezuela aggression against Guyana within the context of a statement by a previous president is a mediocre understanding of political theory.
Mr. Chavez ruled from 1999 to 2013 and in those 14 years he never made an official statement renouncing his country’s claim on the Essequibo. If Mr. Chavez felt that it was indeed a 19th century imperialist divide and rule stratagem, the most gratifying thing in his anti-imperialist repertoire was to denounce the claim by way of a parliamentary motion before his state visit to Guyana.

Interestingly, on his visit to Guyana, my column for that day was a question to him to renounce the claim on Essequibo. Mr. Glen Lall the owner of the newspaper informed me that the column would be dropped because Guyana should not be seen criticizing Chavez on his visit. I still have that column and will look for it and reprint it on my Chronicle page.
Alternatively, he could have done the same after his return to Venezuela. He came in 2004 and died in office in 2013. There was no parliamentary motion for the ratification of the renunciation of the claim. Chavez for all his popularity in Venezuela did not do it. He could have done it. I am postulating that the reason was because he simply did not want to do it.
There is no basis then to call for a diplomatic covenant with Venezuela within the context of Chavez’s statement to discuss good neighbourly relations.
Based on traditional diplomatic rules that have long existed, Guyana and Venezuela should as soon as possible have a meeting of minds to strategise on future improvement of relations with the distinct intention of having friendly closeness.

This diplomatic initiative must be based on an inflexible conditionality on Guyana’s part. There must be an acceptance of the 1899 Arbitral Award that settled the boundaries between the two countries. This columnist is advocating the position that any diplomatic covenant between Guyana even if Maduro says he won a referendum on Essequibo, must be based on that conditionality.

There is no basis for Guyana and Venezuela to discuss trade and increased cooperation if Venezuela maintains a claim on the Essequibo. Here is what I believe. Maduro is going to rig the referendum and use it to bargain for a part of Essequibo.

He is going to say to the Guyanese President that the Venezuelan people have spoken. In negotiations with President Ali, he will say that he has to take something back to his people.
Whatever he wants to take back, Guyana is in no position to offer a parcel of land to him, no matter how small. Please remember this column after the referendum. Maduro is going to call for a dialogue with Guyana, and he will ask for a concession of land in exchange for a settlement.

There is absolutely no feeling among the Guyanese people for such an outcome. The 1899 award is now international law and Maduro must be told by Guyana that Essequibo will never be discussed now and forever. There can be no intimate relationship between the two neighbours once Venezuela’s claim remains.