Unsurprisingly, the announcement by the Government of Guyana earlier this week that it had been notified by EXXON Mobil of two new offshore oil discoveries created no discernable ripples here, the details of the release on the new discovery issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources failing to generate anything close to the sense of national excitement that erupted in 2015 when the public disclosure of the first oil find was made.
Since 2015, the country has moved on multi-dimensionally, the initial feeling of national euphoria having been transformed into the country becoming bathed in a regional and international glare that has, in some respects, transformed its image both in the region and beyond,. At home, the reality of oil has added compelling new dimensions to the ongoing national discourse on the country’s future.