In his Europe Day message, European Union (EU) Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó yesterday said he would not wish dictatorship on any country, including Guyana.
With COVID-19 restrictions in place, the customary European Union (EU) reception to mark the historic May 9th, 1950 ‘Schuman declaration’ was reduced to a video message by Ponz Canto, the EU Ambassador to Guyana and Suriname.
In a message laden with references to the stock the EU places on democracy and the rule of law as well as to the ongoing electoral crisis here, Ponz Cantó, 53, noted that he had been born under a dictatorial regime – a reference to the rule of Spain’s Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975 – and would not want it for any country including Guyana.
He said: “The EU plays a key role in diplomacy and works to foster stability, security, prosperity, democracy and human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law at the international level together with our partners.
“Almost every EU country including my own suffered war and dictatorship over the last century. I was born in a dictatorial regime and I don’t want that for anybody – not for Guyana, not for any country”.
Ponz Cantó and other Western ambassadors have been at the forefront of pressing the Guyana government and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ensure a credible election result and warning that if this was not done sanctions could be on the horizon.
Ponz Cantó was one of four western ambassadors who met on Thursday with Guyana’s de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs Karen Cummings on elections matters.
The Ambassador, in his message, aid that the “EU has brought a successful response of democracy, peace and unity which has now become the cornerstone of global governance and multilateralism”.
He emphasised the EU’s role as the largest provider of development and humanitarian aid globally.
He noted that the EU was providing nine million Euros to the region through the Caribbean Public Health Agency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and assured that “we will emerge together, stronger and better”.
