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Military base and defence buildup

Jan 20, 2024 Editorial

Kaieteur News – The Americans are coming here one by one, which means one of two things: they want something, or they have something to sell.  Sometimes what they want and what they have to sell are so close as to be the same thing.  Once again, there are some subtle sounds about a military base in the region, which looks narrower than that broad space, meaning Guyana.  Before that, and in the wake of the Venezuelan border controversy, there has been a stream of talk in the local arena about defense capabilities, and the need to do something about that, as in a buildup.  That means one thing: spending money on arms.  We do not see that as signifying buying of weaponry and other military hardware from China or Czechoslovakia.  So, we are back to the United States with a base and the buying of military goods.

The man mentioning the US military base idea is from the Defense Department, which is serious stuff, and should convey how far along American thinking is on this.  Right away, we at this paper wish to make our position crystal clear: we are against the setting up of a base in any part of this country.  If the US wants to establish a military base in the region, whether close by or some distance away, we have no issue with that, we could live with it.  Our reasons are straightforward: American corporate supergiant, ExxonMobil, has a huge footprint in Guyana, and casts a long and heavy shadow over our affairs, our way of life.  There are other American companies also present, and alongside those, there are companies from Europe and Asia here, with more likely to join in the procession to take advantage of Guyana’s riches, with a focus on oil primarily.

Therefore, to have a US military base here, if that is what is under review, would mean that the national identity (already partly frayed) is going to be more dissipated.  We are fully appreciative of the Venezuelan threat, but the view here is that a military base would only serve to increase tensions, and convert Guyana into a satellite of the United States, viz., its 51st state.  Though some are of the belief that this is already the case, we urge caution and the utmost in sound judgment on this base issue.  For sure, a military base in Guyana has its pluses, but it also comes with a world of other considerations, many not necessarily in the best interests of this country.

Regarding enhancing defense capabilities, we do not think that there could be any avoiding of that, given the local situation, with a sharp eye on the border controversy.  Hundreds of millions, if not billions, are going to have to be spent on armaments, and Guyana is ripe for the exploitation of its fears, and the filling of the current voids.  Potential sellers of weapons systems and equipment have already done their homework, and are aware that Guyana has deep pockets from its oil wealth, and is a good credit for weapons and much more, as it has the best collateral.  There are those billions of barrels of oil beneath the seabed, of which ExxonMobil has been careful to keep new developments away from us.

One concern about this is that defense needs can end up sucking out huge chunks of the annual national budget.  Some projects and services will have to be sacrificed in such circumstances, which can only delay vital needs, and add to the woes of those Guyanese who are yet to get a decent share of this wealth that is theirs.  Another consideration is that the gap, at present, between where Guyana is and where Venezuela is militarily is vast.  Trying to close that is going to be costly, and also risks more than consternation in Caracas.  What could be triggered is an arms race between the two countries, with no end in sight.

We have money, or will find it, to spend on strengthening the nation’s defense posture.  US military suppliers are salivating at the prospect of unloading their inventory on us, even though the bill would not be enormous, relative to the purchases of other larger countries.

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