Imperative that the PPP Govt. engages Opposition on Border issue

Oct 21, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Every Guyanese patriot ought to be concerned about increased mobilization by the Venezuelan military not far from our western border.

Sometime now, those of us who have been in the hustings during the Cold War, the independent struggle and the saber-rattling of Venezuela after Independence, must understand the complex nature and delicate situation when it comes to securing our territorial integrity. Every day we receive reports of Guyanese miners and workers being harassed at places like Eteringbang and areas near to the contentious island of Ankoko. These violations on both sides of the border are usually dealt with by the civil authority and police.

Myself among others have pleaded with top advisors of the President and cabinet to persuade the President and the General Secretary of the PPP to dismount from the mountain top of knowing all things, being all self-righteous  and initiate meaningful dialogue with the established Opposition on two vital matters. One, the use and disposition of our non-renewable bountiful natural resources, oil, gas, gold, diamond, timber, manganese and second, the Border issue.

When Venezuela recently announced a proposal for Referendum, it was a sensible move knowing fully well irrespective of their political allegiance, every Venezuelan child grew up convinced and believing that Essequibo belongs to them. Has our Government noticed that the American Administration has toned its rhetoric and is now willing to engage the Venezuelan government, now that the clouds of the OPEC sponsored oil crisis seem visible on the horizon and do they know that Venezuela is a founder member of the Oil Producing Exporting Countries (OPEC)?

Here in Guyana, a government truly interested in our welfare should have by now put aside their petty puerile approach and seek to engage the constitutionally identified Opposition and the group that represents a substantial proportion of citizens. Our President and Government should understand that once in office after August 2020, the President and his top brass must put aside the garment of a political party and put on  the robes of Statesmen to initiate serious dialogue so that when we speak, whether it be to the mighty conglomerates, or an over ambitious neighbor, we speak with  the voice, as they say, of all of the people and not some of the people. In that regard, the other side will be bound to listen. Nothing encourages the hostility of an outsider more than the recognition of a nation divided.

In the meantime, the Government must immediately put an end to this nonsensical attitude, inimical to the best interest of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. First, this anxiety to welcome the thousands of Venezuelans who continue to breach our borders and our oceanfront needs to be put in its historical context.  Are they authentic refugees? Are they plants or are they part of a diabolical plan by this administration for Pure Political Purposes? Every Guyanese should welcome with open arms genuine refugees and persons seeking a better life in Guyana. Our authorities lack the capacity to monitor these thousands who are already here as refugees, migrants or interlopers.

We have seen in another continent, the realignment of borders where the majority of residents claim, and in fact are of a particular culture and language, so what is to prevent with some military muscle, a group of Spanish-speaking persons in parts of the North-West, saying that they are now the majority. That land area in another few years will be easy picking.  Another act of shared stupidity is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that marking police cars in Policia (in Spanish) is merely the first step of putting up signs in Spanish in other areas of the country. For me, this is a betrayal of the efforts of the founders of the PPP, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham. Those two Titans understood what Independence meant and, in a sense, supported the song by Dave Martin, “Not a blade of grass.”

Dear Editor, in the interest of our young people, I ask you to use your columns and the belief that in the end, the pen can be mightier than the sword, persuade our leaders, to sit around the proverbial round table and whether they shake hands or not, to talk and talk so that we can sing  and say to outsiders we are singing out of the same song sheet. There are some bits of wisdom that endureth forever. United we stand, divided we fall.

Yours faithfully,

Hamilton Green

Elder

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• Border, Guyanese, Hamilton Green, PPP, Venezuela

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