Dear Editor,
I remember in the early 1980’s when another Venezuelan politician went to their nationalist well to stir tensions with Guyana to gain electoral favour and I also remember the helplessness I felt as a schoolboy in Form 3 at St. Joseph’s High, knowing we were a poor country where it was hard to find food in the supermarket. Guyana is no longer a poor country; we are wealthy for now and the wealth that we have should be used to secure our country for generations. Oil wealth in the ground will not last beyond 20 years given the current energy usage trends so we must act now to secure our future.
What should the government of Guyana do in the face of the longstanding threat from Venezuela? Stop ignoring the threat when it is quiescent and develop a plan to defend the country regardless of the state of tension with Venezuela. As any schoolboy knows, it is never a good strategy to appease a bully or depend on your friend to take on your fights, self-defense is the only viable option. Accordingly, I propose the following course of action to ensure the long-term safety of our country. Unify Guyanese, essential that all Guyanese feel equally eligible to partake in the wealth and future of the country by:
1) Reforming the system of government where one political party is able to wield power over the entire country with only slim majorities in parliament. 2) Move to invest more power to regional governments, including constitutionally mandated budgetary allocations by some equitable formulation that ensures fairness. 3) Full transparency in all government contracting and spending. 4) Full divulgence of assets by all senior government officials with responsibility for approving large sums of monies. 5) Maintain a judicial system that is fair and impartial. 6) Deter the enemy; make no mistake Venezuela is our enemy and unlike before when we were a poor country, we can now arm ourselves fully to deter their threats.
We cannot depend on international bodies to protect us; they can provide the legal basis for us to defend ourselves, but we must be prepared to do it for ourselves. So, we must: Procure military hardware: Including fighter planes, drones, and air defense systems to protect our borders and cities. Naval craft. Armored vehicles suitable for jungle and other warfare. Increase the size of the military from less than 5,000 to at least 50,000 people, first by volunteerism and then by draft if necessary. We need to train: Pilots, Infantry (especially jungle warfare specialists), Navy, Engineers. For the country’s long-term security, we must act now when we are able to utilize the oil wealth to arm ourselves so that we are never placed in this situation again where we must depend on others to defend our home.
Yes, we must also maintain friendly relations with allies, but this always comes with strings attached and no ally will help if we ourselves are not willing and ready to risk blood and wealth to defend our own country. Finally, all Guyanese must be united against the threat. The vicious divide between the ethnic groups in the country is a hindrance to unity and healing. That divide must be a priority for the leaders. Follow the principles espoused by the EU report on democracy in Guyana published after the last elections. All Guyanese love our country but like any bad relationship, some feel pain when they think that the love is not returned. This is truly a necessary action if the military is to be expanded by volunteerism and avoid the risk of requiring a draft.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bertrand Byrne
Paris, France