Venezuelans fleeing, Guyanese bracing

Nov 05, 2020 Editorial

Kaieteur News – On October 9th, the Associated Press headlined an article as follows: “Venezuelans start fleeing country again, after months of COVID lockdowns.”
It tells the tale of the grimness of our once rich neighbour and its hapless citizens.
That story also tells what could be in store for Guyana, if we do not handle the oil wealth right, if we do not understand better the plight of the Venezuelan populace and the significance of their dogged exodus toward us.
Currently, they are heading mainly to Columbia, which itself faces an unemployment level that rose from 12% to 16% in August. A minimally reasonable position is that anytime unemployment creeps beyond 5%, there is cause for alarm; and as for those willing to work, but who cannot find work rise into the high double-digit unemployment category this represents a serious problem for any society and its workforce, which is where Columbia is perched.
Nonetheless, pregnant women, distraught husbands, and hopeful families travel many hundreds of miles in harsh and dangerous conditions to get to Medellin, to whatever awaits them. They go from one of the richest oil countries in the world that now lies in tatters to the blank canvas of Columbia from which they hope to find some speck of work (16% unemployment or not) to feed themselves and to send something home to their starving families. According to AP, “Columbian immigration officials expect 200,000 Venezuelans to enter the country in the months ahead.”
Five million already fled, more will go to anywhere with a semblance of better prospects. It is inevitable that they will come here, too.
As the Americans come here in their numbers and with their numerous business ventures, the Venezuelans will also come in greater numbers to seek opportunity in the way of migrants since time began. Though our unemployment number is also painfully and dismally high, the Venezuelans will come. The passages afforded by our long borders need no rehashing here. The corruptions of our comrades manning the official entry and exit points also do not require any further conversation. The two together-porous borders and willing people on both sides of the guarded outposts-work well together to facilitate a virtual ‘open door’ policy on the ground.
Along the same lines, the social and criminal implications for Guyanese do not demand any great insights; the weights on existing institutions, facilities, and provisions are sure to burden. But still they will flee and come here. The unsaid, perhaps unseen, problem is that there are sure to be criminals coming with the influx, since there is general awareness of the pickings, the low probability of failure.
Still more ominous is another likelihood, and the mere prospect of it should be given the most serious consideration by Guyanese authorities and Guyanese citizens. It is the likelihood of intruders and potential saboteurs sheltering under the cover of needy desperate refugees being planted to be resident moles for later undermining stealth operations, whatever forms those may take. After all, Guyana’s recent enthusiastic and unambiguous partnership with America has now pitted this country, its people, and the collective welfare firmly in opposition to the interests and any possible return to stability of the Venezuelan nation.
To put it in a different way, the weaknesses of Venezuela and woes of Venezuelans can be directly placed at the doorstep of the Americans.
Today, Guyana stands immovably aligned with America, and that is immeasurably bad for the prospects of Venezuela, be they about border matter or internal economic and social vigor. Regardless of how well or how poorly this is received, there is an old measuring rod in life. It is that the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Guyana is now the friend of America, which makes it the enemy of Venezuela. We do not think that there is much more to be said on this score.
But the fact remains that this country, in its possibly brightest moment in the sun, is vulnerable and exploitable and open to all manner of danger, some unthinkable, but no less crippling in the eventuality. The Venezuelans will come, but some could come with the worst objectives.

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