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Norton: ‘Bad timing for British patrol vessel’
– Jagdeo insists there is no aggressive intention
Kaieteur News – Amid the fallout over the deployment of a British vessel here, Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton said there is need for the government to exhibit political sensitivity, especially considering the context of recently signed agreements between Guyana and Venezuela. But Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo insists that there is nothing for Venezuela to fear and justified the deployment of the vessel.
Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton
He criticised the government’s handling of the situation, labeling it as reckless and urging a more nuanced approach. The UK Government recently announced that it was deploying the HMS Trent here to conduct joint exercises in Guyana waters. While authorities here have said that the vessel is part of Guyana building its defensive capability, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reacting angrily ordered the activation of military exercises of over 5,000 troops on the eastern Caribbean of Venezuela (near the Essequibo territory).
Norton, while acknowledging the standard nature of such training exercises in Guyana with its international partners said: “Now, we do need the support of the British…but we also must develop the political sense and maturity to know we have to be selective in what we’re doing and understand the context in which things are done and be very careful not to do things in a particular framework that will do harm to our first of all, our entire case before the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and secondly, to the peace that you are pursuing.”
Norton also highlighted the importance of employing a diplomatic and selective approach. He suggested that a better timing for such exercises could have been negotiated to avoid exacerbating tensions further. “We could have engaged the British to say we welcome (the exercises) but the timing is bad… The present situation is not propitiously disposed to that kind of activity and wherever we want the activity, let us put it at a time when it will serve both of our interests…yes, we should have these activities. But like I said, we could have postponed it for a month and wait until there’s a much better environment,” the Opposition Leader said.
The Opposition Leader emphasized the need to navigate this situation carefully, acknowledging the lack of authority for Venezuela to dictate Guyana’s actions while advocating for actions that contribute to easing tensions between the nations. Norton underscored the significance of granting more time for a harmonious resolution, given the recentness of the signed Argyle Declaration.
“It’s not a month ago…It is normal, but engage the British and come to a common understanding so that Guyana benefits from the peace and tranquility that exists and does not give Venezuela the opportunity to go back to jingoism approach to the situation,” he added.
HMS Trent, an offshore patrol vessel, will take part in exercises off the coast of Guyana (Getty Images)
The Opposition Leader concluded by stressing the importance of diplomatic dialogue and strategic timing in international relations, especially in sensitive geopolitical situations like the ongoing tensions between Guyana and Venezuela. In response, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his press conference said that he is surprised by the comments made by the Opposition Leader. He reiterated that the British vessel is part of a planned exercise and does not have any aggressive intentions towards Venezuela.
“We are not an aggressive state…we also need to work with our allies…we need to make sure our waters are safe from incursion into our exclusive economic zone by a number of players, non-state players illegal fishing and drug dealers and part of the mission of this is to look at that…” Jagdeo said.
According to reports, the HMS Trent had been deployed to the Caribbean to search for drug smugglers but was re-tasked after Venezuela’s government threatened to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana earlier this month – BBC reported. Last Friday, the HMS Trent anchored offshore Guyana. In a statement, the Venezuelan Government condemned the arrival of HMS Trent in Guyana waters, terming it a hostile provocation and a breach of the Argyle Declaration, urging Guyana to withdraw the vessel. Also, the Brazilian Government has since urged Guyana and Venezuela to avoid “military demonstrations” as it expressed concerns after tension rose over the deployment of the British war ship to Guyana.
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