Dear Editor,
Having read former President Jagdeo’s statement (SN, October 24) that the Venezuela controversy could be settled by Guyana allowing, “…Venezuela a channel out to the sea. So, you make a slight concession in the maritime area but make sure that you do not concede any territory that is land-based…” it should be pointed out that this is inherently flawed and the former President should withdraw his baseless statement and ill-advised generosity.
In fact, it matters not if it is only water that the former President wishes to sacrifice to appease Venezuela. Such an act of appeasement has never worked anywhere and it will be wrong to give material comfort from our patrimony with the false hope that Venezuela will not ask for more water and land. This approach is both tactless and suicidal and it will only embolden Venezuela, for they have already made false claims to five-eighths of Guyana, and have illegally occupied for several years Ankoko Island in addition to foiling several investment projects through a process that could only be described as economic hegemony. And by the way, PetroCaribe and the rice deal with its unsustainable above market prices is the classic setup for the Trojan Horse that brings short-term gain for long-term pain. Put differently, one must be reminded of the saying, “You give he an inch and he gun take de whole yard”. Guyanese must never sign on to such folly, for we have already witnessed the divisiveness in the rice sector over a few unearned dollars. No one pays you 5 or 6 times the price for something that they could buy cheaper elsewhere (Suriname, the USA), unless it is setting you up for something that is detrimental to your wellbeing.
Incidentally, if our sister Caricom countries think this is only a Guyanese problem, I ask them to think again, given the claim by Venezuela against Dominica to Bird Island, which is some 340 miles away from the mainland of Venezuela. A cursory look at the map will show why the Caricom countries must be vigilant, as their waterway could be affected by the extended Venezuela borders.
Yours faithfully,
C Kenrick Hunte
