A disturbing troop movement

Mar 18, 2012 Features / Columnists, My Column

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Venezuela reports that it is taking an interest in drug trafficking in the region. It is moving 15,000 troops to borders it shares with Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. Anytime there is troop movement to the border the neighbouring country must be worried, because one thing could lead to another.
One mishap— a soldier in a fit of drunkenness may discharge a round that could hit a soldier from the other side — could see a change in intention and cause serious problems. For example, Venezuela is laying claim to about sixty per cent of this country. It successfully halted a hydroelectric programme that Guyana had undertaken way back in 1973.
It simply approached the international financial agencies who in turn and in deference to Venezuela, withheld the needed funds. Guyana lost a lot of money that otherwise could have gone toward other national development efforts. Today Guyana is undertaking yet another hydroelectric project in the disputed area, but this time around, Venezuela seems to be harbouring no serious objections.
There were the initial media reports about Venezuela needing to halt the programme but to his credit, President Hugo Chavez said that he had no design on Guyana and that he was prepared to let the dispute run its normal course.
However, Chavez is ill, and someone else may be in charge of the military and may be flexing his muscles. I have heard no reaction from Brazil and Colombia. In fact, I have heard no reaction from the Guyanese authorities. Yet the media seem to be taking the troop movement seriously.
As I thought about the move to stop the purported drug trafficking, I began to wonder whether Guyana was exporting drugs to Venezuela and affecting the people of that country. I seriously do not believe that.
I know that Guyana has an application before the United Nations to expand its continental shelf and that Venezuela has voiced an objection. I know that the announcement of the troop movement to the borders has come soon after another Venezuelan objection to the continental shelf issue. This may be coincidental, but coincidences always worry me.
Indeed, the world knows that cocaine flows from Colombia. If by placing its troops on the Colombian border, Venezuela is moving to stop the flow of drugs to this corner of the world, then that is another story. But why the border with Brazil? Brazil is not known to supply drugs to the world and surely the few drug traffickers who pass through there to Guyana cannot warrant the movement of so many troops.
There may be another reason for the movement of 15,000 troops. In the not too distant past, Cuba found uses for its soldiers. I recall the late Forbes Burnham saying that idle troops represent a recipe for trouble. And indeed, in cases where troops are trained and confined to barracks they become restive; they want to put into practice what they have learnt.
Governments have felt the brunt of idle troops. Cuba found something for its idle troops to do. It simply exported them to various parts of the world. That is why there were so many fighting in different parts of Africa during the 1990s and even earlier.
It is no secret that the troops in Venezuela have been restive at different times. There were many coups and coup attempts. Even Chavez felt the effects on one occasion.
I hope that this troop movement is merely to allow the troops to vent their pent up skills on the hapless drug dealers and traffickers. But I also know that such a move could see serious problems in Guyana from another standpoint.  There are people who have grown sweet by reaping the rewards of the drug trade. They have used the money to make their lives comfortable and at the same time allow some movement in the national economy.
Two years ago, the international community placed the underground economy at forty-four per cent. Simply put, it meant that the drug economy was almost half of what was fuelling the traditional economy. It meant that new business could flourish and by way of the value added taxes and other taxes, the country was enjoying a boom of sorts.
To curtail the movement of drugs, Venezuela may be hampering the earnings of a significant section of the moneyed people in the country. That in turn would spark another problem. In the seal colony they turn upon themselves.  They attack the newborns and kill them.
In crowded societies of people there are many murders, because there is something about crowds that acts against the human psyche. While human beings are thinking animals, I am certain that hard pressed to access drugs because of the Venezuelan action they would begin to turn on each other. Guyana would be the worse for it.
And the scenario can be extended further. Those who rely on the trappings from the drug trade, if pushed aside, would turn to other criminal activities, because they have never learnt to live an honest life and to earn an honest dollar.
The government needs to take note of the Venezuelan troop movement, even if the movement is not signaling an invasion. One way or the other the country is bound to feel the impact and I am not sure that I can stand the pressure.

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