Solid presentations on Venezuela in parliament, but the citizenship issue bothers

Nov 09, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

I wish to thank the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, for inviting me to attend an Extraordinary Sitting of the National Assembly on Monday, November 6, 2023. It was to discuss the current issue of the Border situation and the massing on our western border of the Venezuelan military. With the exception of Attorney General Nandlall, presentations by the other speakers on the Government side, I found rather tedious.

On the other hand, the presentation by Shadow Minister, Foreign Affairs Amanza Walton-Desir, was credible and succinct. Roysdale Forde did the correct thing by reminding the House that the Government’s attitude to refugees is inconsistent and I applauded him for reminding them that compassion and concern must be shared in equal measure to Haitians, Nigerians and Venezuelans. It was a most useful presentation given to our existing environment. The presentation by Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, was statesman-like and obviously the result of careful research and his own experience in the Foreign Service.

On my arrival home, I was alarmed by two statements made by the former President, now Vice President and General Secretary of the PPP. I heard a recorded Statement, saying we should find a maritime corridor for Venezuela. At a recent Press Conference, we heard a lengthy dissertation about why we should treat persons who cross the borders into Guyana kindly.

No Guyanese, no citizen with compassion can have a difficulty with this, however, the General Secretary of the PPP seemed to ignore the prospects that some of the Venezuelans may be agents of the Maduro regime, sent here to infiltrate, destabilize and get into mischief. Hours later, there was a report of two Venezuelans found on the Demerara Harbour Bridge with illegal drugs and had been taken into custody by the police.

In every corner of the globe, countries must welcome persons fleeing persecution or hard times, but as sensible people, we should put in place mechanisms to separate genuine refugees, immigrants or plants. We noted the anxiety of the present government to grant citizenship to Venezuelans. In most countries, the granting of passports and citizenship is a lengthy process, in some cases, taking between 10 to 20 years. If we welcome persons who are not born here, we must be careful not to open the floodgates without due process as exists everywhere else.

Shadow Minister, Foreign Affairs, Amanza Walton has posited the question, asking how many persons who have entered Guyana illegally or otherwise have been granted citizenship, passports and therefore entitled to vote at Regional and General Elections. We await the Government’s response with great anxiety.

If for example, there is an incursion, a need for full mobilization; on whose side will these new citizens be fighting for?

In an interview recently, I suggested that if it came to mass mobilization, those who are benefiting from our oil bonanza should constitute the frontline brigade to face the enemy to the west.

Let me add this caveat, in Parliament on Monday, to loud desk tramping and applause, the PPP Government side seemed to have come to their senses when they adverted to ‘One People, One Nation and One Destiny,’ and carefully avoided this nonsense they started recently of ‘One Guyana, ’ and why police vehicles and other signs, as one Minister told me, would now be in Spanish. Not a word from the Government’s side. It is never too late, for I believe that the vilest sinner may return.

Yours truly,

Hamilton Green

Elder

Attorney General Nandlall, Extraordinary Sitting of the National Assembly, Hamilton Green, Manzoor Nadir, Roysdale Forde

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Solid presentations on Venezuela in parliament, but the citizenship issue bothers

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