Is Guyana bowing to the new super powers?

Jun 20, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Some new insight on the foreign policy in Georgetown has been presented in the article headed ‘Iran’, which states that, ‘President Jagdeo’s famously ad-hoc foreign policy just turned out even more random than usual’ (SN June 14, 2010).
A credible rationale drew attention to the sober fact that the President was ‘moving Guyana out of the Western arc and into the ambit of countries on the continent with close relations with Iran, namely, Venezuela, Cuba and their allies’.
This new development is ominous indeed, if Guyana is seeking to firmly position itself around Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela and Iran.
If not exporting ideologies, or seeking to exploit Guyana for political and economic gains, none of the countries can claim to offer any help to preserve Guyana’s security and economic integrity.
Guyana’s mineral resources have long become the envy of her powerful neighbours, and these countries would stop at nothing to stake their claims over Guyana’s vast mineral wealth. They seem to have already bought over Guyana’s docile and malleable politicians. Of easy virtues and no real commitment towards the people, these politicians could be easily swayed with cheap ideologies and quick money. The real danger is that Guyana could end up in its old subservient role as a colony, with the new emerging super powers as its new masters.
Guyana has had long and well-established, cultural and economic ties with the US, Britain and Canada. Guyana’s economy has been heavily dependent on remittances from the western countries over the decades.
The vast influx of Guyanese migrating to the western countries, are the people who have been propping up Guyana ever since Independence.
They continue to make enormous sacrifices, despite the downturn in the economy of their respective host countries.
This new policy shift has to be a real kick in the teeth to them, and especially to those in low-paid jobs and in poor housing in foreign lands.
Their sacrifices in sending remittances to families and communities have helped to rescue Guyana from a dismal future. Their efforts have confounded a ruthless dictatorship, and they have contributed much to breaking the stranglehold upon an oppressed populace facing starvation under the vindictive and tortuous banning of food imports.
Yet inept politicians can see no further beyond spewing of vitriolic contempt and revulsion at these very western states, which are the backbone to Guyana’s funding source, and which are the hosts to more than half of the Guyana’s population as established migrant communities.
Indoctrinated and rooted in alien ideologies, the future of Guyana is coming under increasing threat, from a new brand of bane and self-centered politicians. Their vain attempts at state control have all led to further economic decline and dire poverty. Their random and ad-hoc policies have pervaded the nation and tearing at the very fabric of society.
The new czars are now preparing for a new orbital shift that would deliver Guyana into the hands of a new, powerful group of predatory states.
Guyana has long lost its will for transparency, accountability, security, justice and law and order; the fundamental pillars of any decent democracy. Without any democratically formulated foreign policy, the politicians are free to eschew responsibility and adopt only those that suit their own personal ambitions. Oblivious to their obligations to the people, they do not see protection of the citizens of Guyana as paramount and absolute.
Venezuela has registered a claim to over half of Guyana. Venezuela has also prevented Guyana from exploring for oil on its sovereign territory. Whatever the merits of their pending claim, Venezuela has left the future of Guyana hanging in the balance. Guyana cannot move forward until such a claim is fully resolved. This will not happen, if at all, through any sensible bilateral agreements between good and responsible neighbours, but through a long-winded UN arbitration process.
This will put a brake on development in Guyana, until some time in the distant future, when Guyana could finally end, as a shrinking state, minus the vast county of Essequibo. Yet all the politicians could offer to its citizens is to behave as good and docile neighbours, and by default implying de facto acceptance of the claim.
President Jagdeo was told that the Kurupung hydro-power project was seen by the Brazilians as a step forward to Guyana becoming integrated with Brazil. Strangely, the politicians seems little perturbed against the seriousness and gravity of such a claim. In the absence of any alternative policy from Georgetown, ceding of sovereignty or subjugation to Brazil may well be their chosen way for the future for Guyana.
Brazil has voted against the latest of a series of UN sanctions against Iran. Guyana has refused to state its policy on the sanctions. Perhaps directives is being awaited from outside. In the meantime, President Jagdeo has merrily invited the Iranians to gain a foothold in Guyana on the pretext of doing mineral mapping. A MOU with the Iranians was signed up in Georgetown with strange urgency.
No sovereignty issues were aggressively pursued, as with the offer of UK funding. A top, irate politician was quick to reject the UK offer and to tender his resignation on lame excuses that the UK would be allowed to trample on sovereignty. The UK offer was made to help beefing up and modernizing Guyana’s poor and ineffective policing and security system. The funding was subsequently withdrawn and re-directed to another needy country.
By adhering to divisive double-standards and ad-hoc policies, the politicians had ensured that the people of Guyana will remain firmly down-trodden, and deprived of any proper policing and security.
Iran’s offer to do mineral mapping should have set the alarm bells ringing in Georgetown. The Trojan horse should not have been taken on face value, and allowed through the gates without close and thorough scrutiny.
Protection of sovereignty should have been aggressively pursued with the same vengeance and vindictiveness as with the rejection of the UK funding.
However, no one is threatening to resign and Iran is freely welcomed into Guyana. Sovereignty is seen as no risk, as it was with the UK.
The Iranians are fierce defenders of their own sovereignty and with borders heavily defended. Anyone caught loitering near their borders are quickly arrested and marched off to prison for spying. Guyana cannot make any such claims, as many Brazilians would have ended up behind bars and not allowed to roam about freely to mine Guyana’s gold and destroying its precious forest.
The Iranians should not be mistaken as simplistic buffoons, who will gladly conduct mineral mapping for the pleasures of inept countries, who are unwilling to do it for themselves and for their own protection. There has to massive kick-backs and loads of one-sided benefits available to the Iranians and to be milked from the inane and corrupt politicians, who Guyana is good at producing.
Iran is long yearning to be the mighty pre-Alexandrian power house, which has once ruled from the Mediterranean to the Indus Valley. Stifled of its ambitions by a series of UN sanctions, they are determined that nothing will stop them from to become a dominant world power sooner than later.
Becoming a nuclear power is seen as a crucial step. Despite all their overbearing rhetoric in denial, and which they are selling to corrupt countries like Guyana, it is highly dubious that their overblown demand for enriched uranium will only be used for medical purposes.
They are anxious to do mineral mapping to meet their own desperate needs. In addition to mapping of other minerals, the Iranians would be moving to source uranium deposits.
Having Guyana in their pockets and next to their allies Brazil and Venezuela will play greatly to their hands. Any discovery of uranium could be mined with impunity and with little intervention from close friends. The Iranians have become ruthless experts at UN sanction busting. Guyana’s porous borders with Brazil and Venezuela would be a blessing in disguise to them.
Using ghost ships that cannot be easily traced will further help them defy UN sanctions. These vessels are known for changing their names and ownerships changes like chameleons changes colours. Guyana however, could get easily caught up in its own web as an accessory to UN sanction busting.
Mac Mahase

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