War around Guyana? – Venezuela’s Aggression

Sep 14, 2008 Features / Columnists

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Peter R, Ramsaroop, MBA
Chairman, Vision Guyana

INTRODUCTION:
Many are aware that I am very pro-west in my beliefs as most Guyanese are, as evident by their interest in moving to the United States and Canada. I believe that our President, who is Russian trained, is not pro-west.

President Chavez this last Thursday kicked the US Ambassador out of his country as the Russians came in with their bombers and naval ships while the US is reactivating their 4th Fleet for the Caribbean region.

This followed the shocking news that Venezuela has invited the Russians to conduct an exercise in the region. Russian Naval ships and long range bombers have already arrived.

It is evident that President Chavez is a dictator and has seized most of the private sector oil and cement businesses.

The recent conflict between Russia and Georgia has raised concerns around the world. President George W. Bush on Monday froze a lucrative civilian nuclear pact with Russia, the first big penalty imposed on Moscow after its war with Georgia.

Mr. Chavez said last weekend that four warships with as many as 1,000 sailors from Russia’s Pacific Fleet will take part in a training exercise off Venezuela’s coast.

Salvatore Cammarata Bastidas, Venezuela’s chief of naval intelligence, said the exercises were aimed at strengthening military ties.

Venezuela has gone out of its way to strengthen relations with Russia. In addition to welcoming Russian investment, Mr. Chavez has emerged as a major buyer of Russian arms.

Guyana is a country threatened by Venezuela to invade at anytime if we develop the two-thirds of the country they illegally claim.

Chavez, who constantly warns the U.S. may someday invade Venezuela, already has begun training neighbourhood-based civilian militias. Government opponents say he is trying to create the means to suppress dissent and defend his presidency at all costs.

WHY IS ALL OF THIS IMPORTANT TO GUYANA?
I bring this up because I strongly believe Venezuela is a deterrent to major private investors wanting to invest in the Essequibo, which is rich in natural resources such as oil, because of the fear of a Venezuelan invasion.

We lack the bold leadership and foreign policy necessary to deal with such aggression by our neighbour in holding our country hostage.

The AFC is the only parliamentary party to call for Venezuela to take off their claim on Guyana before any roads can join the two countries.

The PNC failed while they were in power to open the region, but concentrated well on defending our borders.

We have repeatedly called for this policy to change and for Guyana to take up the mantle and open the Essequibo to large oil companies.

Reports by leading regional geologists confirmed that the Essequibo basin may be rich with oil given its strategic location to Venezuela.

ARMS BUILD UP – SHOULD CONCERN US:
Sir Ronald Sanders in a recent column “Venezuelan military build-up cause for anxiety” warned about the arms build up in Venezuela.

He wrote that “Chavez has recently purchased $4 billion worth of military equipment from Russia. These include: 24 Sukhoi combat aircraft with missiles, Main battle tanks, transport aircraft, air defence systems, and Kalashnikov (AK) automatic assault rifles.

This latest purchase follows a 2005-2006 agreement with Russia to buy over 50 combat helicopters, 12 Tor-M1state-of-the-art defence anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile systems, and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.

Having purchased all this heavy-duty weaponry, Chavez boasted that his air force could sink the US Fourth Fleet, which was recently deployed in the Caribbean, reportedly on drug-interdiction duty.

He added that the Sukhoi aircraft has a considerably longer range than the US Lockheed/Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons.

And he went on: “Any gringo ship that sails into brown waters (Venezuelan waters) will itself turn brown and go to the bottom, because they’ll not get through”.

AMERICAN BASE IN GUYANA?
As a former US Military veteran with service in the Persian Gulf War to liberate Kuwait from Iraq, I know what it is like to have a country invaded by another. We cannot wait for Chavez in his arms build-up to continue to threaten the sovereignty of our nation.

By virtue of Guyana’s strategic geographic location, and to ensure future free market economy successes, it is incumbent on our elected Government leaders, to actively pursue a closer cooperation, with the USA, and perhaps, offer to host an American Base in Guyana.

Capitalism with a social conscience, with recognition of Guyana’s sovereignty, coupled with Guyanese entrepreneurs and citizens, can make Guyana, the Singapore or Dubai, of the Caribbean and South America. Guyana is blessed with numerous resources, including very important water and soon oil.

Socialism, dictatorship or communism is not in Guyana’s long-term interests; we have tried all three and are still in one and it is not working.

CONCLUSION:
Chavez called the deployment part of a move toward a “pluri-polar world” — a reference to moving away from U.S. dominance. “The Yankee hegemony is finished,” Chavez said in a televised speech.

This anti-west approach is a breeding ground for war and terrorism. Guyana needs to step out and reclaim its sovereignty and not be bounded by this ridiculous claim from Venezuela.

We need the West in order to further our development and to stop the migration of all our skilled workers to their countries. Why not try to get them to help us develop?

We need to take a stand against our neighbour for bringing Russia, which is bent on pushing back communism and dictatorship around the world and returning to the stage with its power and international relations aura which it lost in the early 90s.

Our hope does not lay in the reliance on status quo leaders who curtsy to the whims of themselves. We need leaders who have the internal fortitude to turn away from the temptations of power. We need leaders who seek national interests over personal interests.

We need bold leaders who govern with compassion and wisdom. Guyana needs bold Governmental leaders to act without fear of favour, before it is too late.

Send responses to [email protected] www.visionguyana.com

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