Dear Editor,
The news about the meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines this week brokered by Brazilian President Lula, to be held under the auspices of the Chairpersons of CELAC and CARICOM, with President Lula’s foreign affairs Adviser, the respected former Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and the Jamaican Chef de Cabinet in the UNSG’s office present, aligns with my own sense of optimism I have been maintaining throughout, that good sense would prevail. This optimism I had publicly expressed recently at a forum at the Pegasus Hotel hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of UG, and also on the Freddie Kissoon- Leonard Gildarie show.
Coincidentally, I did an interview over the weekend for Record TV of Brazil, and was able to respond favourably about this proposed initiative of the Brazilian President – at that time it was only a proposal – and to speak in positive terms about the prospects for supplemental diplomacy, of talking without talking, in a multilateral regional setting where, unlike in a bilateral encounter, one party would not be able to “get their way”, given the presence of so many other interested parties in the room. Since then the attendance list has increased to include two more influential players, namely the distinguished Prime Ministers of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
In so far as third-party interlocutors go, their standing in both capitals would be a positive contributing factor. Significantly, the presence of the UNSG’s Chef de Cabinet Ambassador Rattray would clearly indicate that discussing the process initiated by his principal, which is currently engaging the attention of the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, is off the table. Besides, discussions on “matters consequential to the border controversy” cannot mean discussions about the border controversy; hopefully, nothing was lost in translation.
One outcome I would like to see from this meeting is the establishment of a CARICOM/CELAC Monitoring Mechanism, to oversee cross-border good neighbourly relations between Guyana and Venezuela, based on respect for the principles of the UN Charter – peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and non-aggression. This would be a forum mandated by the Saint Vincent Meeting, to be managed at the level of Foreign Ministers. It could be chaired by Minister Amorim, and comprised of select CARICOM and CELAC Foreign Ministers, with technical support from Agencies such as IMPACS and the RSS (security, troop movements, border activity) CARPHA (public health aspects of cross border activity), with technical advice from the IOM; the UNSG’s office would Observe the work of the Mechanism. As CELAC does not have a permanent secretariat, CARICOM would be called upon to provide logistic and coordination support for the work of the Mechanism.
A series of periodic reports to the Chairmen of CARICOM and CELAC weekly for the first month, bi-monthly for the second and thereafter on a monthly basis as circumstances require, would serve to bring the temperature down and to return calm and mutual respect in bilateral relations and to dial down the rhetoric of shouting across the border at each other. Finally, would it at this stage be premature or overly ambitious to invite the two main parties to explore, however tentatively, the modalities for the eventual conclusion of a non-aggression pact, with Brazil also as a party?
It may be recalled that a few years ago, when the Trump Administration was making credible noises about regime change in Caracas, some of the same players in this week’s meeting in Saint Vincent were able to convince President Granger, as the sitting Chairman of CARICOM, to convene at short notice a special Emergency Session of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM. After intense preparation with the CARICOM Foreign Ministers, the Heads of Government issued a strong statement eschewing the threat or use of force in inter-state relations and spoke glowingly about non-use of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Surely these same actors can conjure up the same enthusiasm and commitment now to take a similar stand, especially when the potential for aggression is emanating from their brother in Caracas, against their “padnah” in Georgetown.
The (peace) doves are beginning to align themselves, the Caribbean will remain a Zone of Peace. Todos estan esperando…
Yours faithfully,
Neville Bissember
