AS Guyana continues to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity on all fronts, there has been a substantial increase in public awareness activities about the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy. Heightened public awareness was a craving of many, including myself, for quite some time and I am very happy to see it now.

As I’m sure anyone can imagine, Venezuela’s December 3 referendum — that’s today — makes many people, especially those living in border communities, uneasy. Many people, not just border community residents, believe the Bolivarian Republic could use that referendum to justify annexing two-thirds of Guyana’s territory — the entire Essequibo region. This was part of Guyana’s recent argument before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), when it objected to the questions in Venezuela’s referendum.

But let’s talk about the controversy for a second.

I am currently in Dubai covering COP28, and it has been interesting engaging my Caribbean colleagues after they asked me about the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy. For many of them, this is the very first time they are hearing about the controversy, and for many of them, it is super alarming to hear about Venezuela’s claim to two-thirds of our territory. I take their curiosity and inquisitiveness now as a positive sign that our awareness efforts are reaching beyond our borders and into the workplaces and homes of our Caribbean family. That is important, now more than ever.

For us, the controversy is real and, at times, concerning.

The Spanish-speaking nation claims Guyana’s entire Essequibo region even though the border was established more than 100 years ago by the 1899 Arbitral Award. Venezuela accepted the border for decades. As Guyana approached its 1966 independence from Great Britain, Venezuela was heightening its claim to the Essequibo region. So in that year, we got the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which did not replace the 1899 Arbitral Award (and I must mention this because many seem to believe that it did; it did not) but established a framework, more or less, to resolve the controversy. And Guyana has been following that framework for years, engaging in robust bilateral talks and the Good Officer process. Eventually, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General referred the controversy to the ICJ. Guyana welcomed this and has taken its case to the World Court for a full, final and binding affirmation of that award, so that Venezuela’s claims can end once and for all.

Aside from the judicial process, Guyana has been engaging its partners around the world, be it friendly states or organisations. There has been widespread support for Guyana and for the process before the ICJ, especially from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Commonwealth.

All that is good, well, and ongoing, but I’m sure we can all appreciate people’s concerns. So, in a necessary move, I believe, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali went to the border communities in Regions One and Seven and sought to address people directly. I also visited those communities and saw him listen to their concerns, answer their questions, and give them assurances that Guyana has widespread international support, is strengthening security capacity, and is engaging in the judicial process unfolding at the ICJ. Though there have been press conferences, briefings, and some awareness activities, for some, this direct engagement was the first time they had heard of the comprehensive efforts on the government’s part to guarantee that our territorial integrity and sovereignty remained intact.

As I reported on the engagement, I saw firsthand how important that sort of engagement is. It is a need that cannot be satisfied with songs and brochures, no matter how important those are otherwise. Such engagements are continuing, and even though I am away for a little while, it is clear to me that there is a huge focus on engaging people so that they know more about the controversy and what Guyana is doing.

If you would like to connect with me about this column or any of my previous work, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com