ANOTHER STORM IN A TEACUP

Sep 19, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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For many years now, Guyanese soldiers stationed at Eterinbang and their counterparts on the Venezuelan side have enjoyed cordial and friendly relationships.
Private conversations with soldiers who have served at that location will confirm stories about local soldiers crossing over and having a good time on the Venezuelan side and returning back to base without any major problem from the Venezuelans.
Other stories are also told about the Guyanese soldiers being given gifts of ration from their Venezuelan counterparts. I am sure that if local ranks who were stationed in Eterinbang are interviewed they will confirm that they do make trips across to Venezuela to party and that they do speak in friendly terms with Venezuelan troops. These things are known to happen but will, for obvious reasons never be logged.
Recently, it was reported that a Venezuelan team entered into Guyana from Eteringbang and went on a little sightseeing. Now this, I am sure is not the first time that this would have happened but since it has been made, it seems to be attracting all manner of comments in the media and even being deemed an act of provocation.
Those stationed at the border will however confirm that relations between the two sides remain friendly and you would not believe at all that there is a dispute between the two countries over territory.
To claim that there is no dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over territory is ridiculous. There is a long-standing dispute which has attracted the intervention of the United Nations’ good officer process. If there was no dispute why would this dispute resolution mechanism be employed in the first place and been employed for that matter for decades now?
Those persons who deny there is a dispute over territory are really trying to indicate that as far as they are concerned Guyana’s borders as defined by the 1899 Arbitral Award are inviolate. Unfortunately, the Venezuelans do not accept the validity of the 1899 award. This creates a dispute because one side says X and another side says Y.
Having a dispute does not mean that Guyana accepts the legitimacy of the Venezuelan claim or vice versa. Guyana’s position remains that the territorial award of 1899 is final and binding.
The Venezuelan position is that there was a deal between the Americans, the British and the Russians to rob Venezuela of land and thus they contest the award. Regardless of how Guyana feels, this constitutes a dispute because there is no meeting of minds.
Despite this dispute, relations between Guyana and Venezuela continue to be excellent. In fact, ever since the PPPC came to power, relations have been at their best with Guyana inking a number of agreements with that country.
So good has been the relationship that Hugo Chavez, the late Venezuelan President, had made it clear that so long as projects are for the development of the people of Guyana, the Venezuelan government, his government would not object to development in the Essequibo region most of which is claimed by Venezuela.
This was a major advance from what obtained before when the fear in Guyana was always that Venezuela was liable to object to the development of Essequibo
The PPPC has pursued an effective diplomacy towards regards Venezuela. They have moved beyond the narrow confines of merely using diplomacy to muster support for their cause in the dispute. PPP/C administrations have used diplomacy instead to underscore the need for increased cooperation without in any way making any concessions as regards the traditional position of Guyana towards the territorial controversy.
Thus, the government continues to insist that the 1899 award is final but insists that whatever the other side feels should not stand in the way of improved relations and in fact it has not stood in the way.
Obviously, there are forces both inside and outside of both countries that have a stake in raising the political ante over the territorial issue. This very issue became a stumbling block preventing the earlier granting of Independence to Guyana.
During the Cold War, it was used as a constant threat against the PNC government. In fact after Forbes Burnham agreed to help refuel Cuban planes en route to Angola, the then Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez called him directly and told him in no uncertain manner that if a drop of Venezuelan fuel ever found its way into a Cuban plane he would cut off oil supplies to Guyana.
Today there are forces in both countries who for political purposes continue to stir up this controversy. In Venezuela, it is used to show that the incumbent socialist regime has abandoned the territorial claims. In Guyana there are forces who want to demonstrate that the PPP/C is not effectively defending Guyana’s interest.
As such a little excursion by some Venezuelans, including soldiers, into Guyana’s territory is being blown out of proportion, forgetting that Guyanese soldiers stationed on the border also make their own forays across the border to eat corn beef and to have a good time.

 

 

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