The US position on the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy is “wholly inadequate and inexplicable” and Washington should urgently review its position and acknowledge the validity of the boundary between the two countries, former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran says.
In his column in the Sunday Stabroek, Ramkarran recalled the pivotal role of the US in determining the border. He said that Washington played a dominant role in the 19th century in pressuring Great Britain on behalf of Venezuela to agree to arbitration of the border dispute and like Venezuela, it accepted the Arbitral Award of 1899.
“The US has therefore recognized Guyana’s borders from 1899 to the present, but has pointedly not said so,” Ramkarran said. He pointed out that both Caricom and the Common-wealth have repeatedly affirmed recognition of Guyana’s internationally accepted borders. Com-monwealth foreign ministers, meeting in New York last week, did so again, as did Caricom at its recent heads of government meeting.
“The confirmation of such a position by the US, based on historical facts, would be fair and just. But for some unknown reason,