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Guyana and UNASUR

Nov 29, 2010 Editorial

On the basis of the rule on the alphabetical annual rotation of its pro-tempore presidency, President Jagdeo has acceded to that position in UNASUR, in this his last year of office. He begins his term of office on a high, with the just concluded summit of the groups heads of states ratifying the much heralded “democracy clause”.
As the declaration issued at the summit’s conclusion, “This Additional Protocol emanates from the mandate established in the Declaration of Buenos Aires of October 1, 2010, where it is affirmed that Member States shall not tolerate any challenge to the institutional authority or any attempted coup against the legitimately constituted civil power and that they shall adopt concrete and immediate measures in event of violations against the constitutional order.” This declaration must be of some comfort to a government that had faced a sustained armed threat to its authority by self-styled “resistance fighters” only a few years ago.
But Guyana’s membership and indeed its leadership of the ambitious South American integration movement will undermine its credibility if it cannot demonstrate some concrete movement out of its dire economic straits with the assistance of UNASUR.
As the poorest member of a South America which has finally offered the world a glimpse of its delivered possibilities, Guyana must be facilitated in its thrust for development by the richer members if they are to be taken seriously on the world stage. How can we, for instance, lecture the US about abandoning its responsibilities to create a more just world when we are closing our eyes to our own inequalities?
We can begin by looking at the Initiative for Integration of Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA). While this initiative predates UNASUR, it has been incorporated within its mandate. If Guyana is to ever develop, this newspaper has consistently accepted and supported the notion that it must become integrated with its South American neighbours. Over five decades ago, Lee Kwan Yu of Singapore made a strategic decision that the developed countries of Europe and North America would be the “hinterland” that its economy would support. He could do this and succeed because its great harbours, docks and shipyards and location provided it with an unparalleled infrastructure for delivering its products.
In Guyana, ever since the rule of our first President, Mr Forbes Burnham, it was accepted that South America via Brazil was our “hinterland”. Visits were made to Brazil, agreements were signed that a highway would be constructed linking Georgetown to Boa Vista and thus the rest of South America. And then nada.
President Hoyte then visited, the same happy noises were made – a contract was even signed with the firm Paranapanema – and then nothing. We finally had the Takatu Bridge in the last decade but for some reason the highway is still a dream. The departing, and honoured President Lula has once again reiterated that the money and will is available to complete the project, so we have to ask what is holding up the deal?
We have also signed agreements with Venezuela about a highway from Ciudad Bolivar to Bartica –and from thence to Georgetown. We should not have these initiatives wither on the vine even as we enthuse about the new agreement with Suriname to bridge the Corentyne. There has been much talk about Guyana being a bridgehead for CariCom – our old integration dream – into South America. But of what use is a “bridgehead” if it begins at a coast with no decent-sized harbour for modern shipping and peters out into a cattle trail in the jungle?
President Jagdeo has been presented with a unique opportunity with his new role in UNASUR. If he is to succeed in persuading other states that it is in their interest to strengthen UNASUR, he must demonstrate that whatever reservations his government may have about pursuing increased integration with its neighbours – and which has stalled the long announced initiatives on physical integration within IIRSA – can be addressed. While he has already shown that he can “talk the talk”, he must now “walk the walk”.

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