Dear Editor,
In an effort to enlighten myself about the border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana I surfed the web and came across the uncomplimentary paragraphs which I have reproduced below.
Law and crime
‘Corruption in Venezuela is high by world standards, and was so for much of the 20th century, The discovery of oil had worsened political corruption… Venezuela has been ranked one of the most corrupt countries on the ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’ since the survey started in 1995. The 2010 ranking placed Venezuela at number 164, out of 178 ranked countries. Similarly, the World Justice Project ranked Venezuela 99th out of 99 countries surveyed in its 2014 Rule of Law Index.
‘This corruption is shown with Venezuela’s significant involvement in drug trafficking, with Colombian cocaine and other drugs transiting Venezuela towards the United States and Europe. Venezuela ranks fourth in the world for cocaine seizures, behind Colombia, the United States, and Panama… many major government and military officials have been known for their involvement with drug trafficking, especially with the October 2013 incident of men from the Venezuelan National Guard placing 1.3 tons of cocaine on a Paris flight knowing they will not face charges.
‘Venezuela is among the most violent places on Earth. In Venezuela, a person is murdered every 21 minutes. Violent crimes have been so prevalent in Venezuela that the government no longer produces the crime data…’
The Corruption Perceptions Index for 2014 listed Guyana 124 and Venezuela 161.
Wow! We here in Guyana consider our country so corrupt that it was the burning issue in the recent general elections. The then opposition accused the government of rampant corruption, and promised the electorate that if elected they would do all in their power to stamp it out. While it has only been two months since the elections, our new government is in the process of taking measures to reduce corruption and recover plundered state resources.
And to think that our far wealthier neighbour, Venezuela, ranks as the 13th most corrupt country in the world. It seems that in this regard, Guyanese are far better off than Venezuelans.
The United Nations lists the 2012 murder rate per 100,000 population for 218 countries, and Guyana’s rate that year was 17 per 100,000 people, while Venezuela’s was 135. Here we go again. We think murder here in Guyana is out of control. Well Venezuela has us in that respect.
I read that Venezuela wishes to distribute 200,000 Venezuelan ID cards to unsuspecting Guyanese. Those who take up the offer should do this with their eyes wide open. Visit Caracas and you will find the third most dangerous city in the world.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Gonsalves
