Dear Editor,
Venezuela presses on with a national referendum which would be affirmed as the will of the people by the Supreme Court of Venezuela. The military leadership is trying to create a new way to determine a country’s boundary, showing disrespect to previous agreements which Venezuela ratified and also to the work by Commissioners and International Media-tors who determined Guyana’s boundary in 1899. Prior to this referendum, the leadership used deception by unilaterally drawing a map showing an illegal boundary line. The items of the referendum are provocative and hostile to Guyana. It almost amounts to a declaration of war if the referendum is agreed to by the Venezuelan people. There is no nation which supports this referendum. The ICJ will likely support the request from Guyana to declare that the referendum is illegal, given that the boundary dispute is in the court’s jurisdiction. Not that the opinion of the ICJ or final ruling matters to the Venezuelan leadership. Maybe Guyana should also hold a referendum asserting that we shall not give up a “Blade of Grass”.
Venezuela’s leadership cannot be trusted that it will not use military force if the results of the referendum favours their five motions. Right up to the day before he invaded, Putin said his troops were on military exercises. Now we hear from the Venezuelan ambassador that an invasion will not happen. Yet the actions being taken speak otherwise. It was reported in the Financial Times Feb 17th a few days prior to the “Special Military Operation”, President Zelensky asked for sanctions to be imposed as he felt an attack was close. After invading, Putin stated it was not an invasion only a “Special Military Operation”. We may not be invaded but have a special “Operation” to cut Essequibo from the body of Guyana. How many will come to our aid? We hear Caribbean leaders softening their stance on Venezuela with one Prime Minister criticizing Guyana for “Making Noise and Disturbing the Peace”. Kudos to Mr. Norton for speaking up about the unfortunate remark by this Prime Minister who may unfortunately become the next Secretary General of the UN.
Guyana has followed the law, not making any aggressive moves, and abiding with the odd advice by the UN Secretary General to put the “Perfect 1899 Border Agreement” under scrutiny before the ICJ. Guyana had no reason to dispute that agreement. The body which we should have approached was the UN Security Council. Sanctions may be the way to stop the referendum. However, it will hurt and weaken the Venezuelan people further. We must continue to voice our opposition to this referendum and to the current government of Venezuela.
Sincerely,
Dr. Davendra Sharma