Guyana was upset with the announcement of a referendum in Venezuela and it rightfully preoccupied all Guyanese.
The entire country was mobilised in denouncing the referendum. During the build up to the voting, all the experts in Guyana and scholars abroad who wrote on the issue made the pellucid point that Venezuela is in no position to invade Guyana, the world would not accept it and Maduro knows that. The experts agreed that the referendum was tied up with Maduro’s survival as elections loom next year.

The referendum was held, it failed and it devastated the plan of Maduro. He thought there would have been widespread enthusiasm among the Venezuelan people. The opposition did not support the process.
The capacity of Maduro to mobilise the armed forces has been severely limited because what the failed referendum showed is that 90 per cent of the population is just not interested in Venezuela’s incursion into Essequibo. After the voting defeat, Maduro moved to the second dimension of his game.

He issued threats to oil companies operating in Essequibo waters. He announced that he will share out licenses to Venezuelan oil companies to mine in Essequibo waters. He said he will set up a commission that will map out a strategy for the new state he calls – Guayana Esequiba.

These moves, like the referendum, are now preoccupying the minds of Guyana. But one has to be careful how one deals with Maduro’s games. The Guyana Government and the Guyanese people have to plan for any eventuality and have to mobilise friendly countries. But there is another side to this situation and it is worth considering.

If Maduro keeps playing these games and we are taken over by fear and plight, then it can destabilise the collective psychology of the nation and the results can be disastrous for Guyana. Let’s look at some of the implications. If Maduro knows that national concern is creating psychological confusion in Guyana, he will not stop his charades but will intensify them.

It is not a complex situation that is hard to understand. If Guyana lives in an unsettled mode and Maduro knows this, it is obvious that he will continue to invent more games that will continue to create mental fatigue among Guyanese.
If each fortnight or each month, Maduro invents new games and each announcement tears at your emotion then Maduro succeeds in destabilising Guyana. Let’s look at some of the consequences if Guyanese continue to react with curious trepidation.

First, plight and fright can turn into flight. Guyana the past two years has seen a sizeable amount of disapora investment. These people can leave. Oil discovery have brought in substantial foreign investment. These people can leave also. Secondly, there can be a run on the commercial banks. People may want to remove their assets.

Thirdly, it can take a toll on the psychology of Guyanese thus reducing people’s contribution to the national welfare. For example, teachers and state employee may not be motivated. Fourthly, the more psychological discomfort the nation displays the more fatigue it puts on the military and the government.

We are in a psychological situation which we can easily overcome. Do not let Maduro play with your mind. It is natural for Maduro to intensify his games if he knows he is getting through to Guyanese. How can we get out of this situation? By understanding that Maduro is in no position to invade Essequibo and the world will not allow it.

By understanding that Maduro wants the Guyanese nation to live in fear and it will cause psychological disruption, your natural response then should be to ensure that your life is lived as normal. In other words, ignore Maduro and let normal life continue. This does not mean that the relevant institutions like the army and government should not be on their guard. They have their work to do.

But I bet if you ask the president, his ministers, the legal and scholarly experts and the military people what you should do, they will all tell you to carry on life in Guyana as normal. This you must do. This is my sincere advice to you. Maduro is going to come up with more crazy schemes maybe as early as tomorrow if he knows it is going to create confusion in Guyana and get people agitated.

You have to ignore the constant mouthing off by Maduro. He knows he is losing his grip on the Bolivarian Republic and he thought he could rally Venezuela around him if he used Essequibo as a whipping boy. Relax, enjoy life in Guyana and carry on as normal. I will see you on the seawall this afternoon.