Dear Editor,
Much has been written about the recently concluded meeting between President Ali (Guyana) and President Maduro (Venezuela) in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Maduro did not change his confrontational stance on the annexation of Essequibo region of Guyana. The truth is that Maduro has been intimidated by the ongoing joint military exercises, between Guyana and the USA, near the Guyana-Venezuela border in the Essequibo region.
Having USA military personnel now in Guyana is an expense that Guyana cannot afford. It is not a free operation! Money, which can be utilized for continued infrastruture developments in Guyana, now has to be diverted to absorb the costs of USA military presence in Guyana. This is not an ideal scenario. Guyana does not need or can afford a USA military base in the Essequibo region near the Guyana-Venezuela border.
Perhaps now is the time for the CARICOM and CELAC to urgently meet to discuss establishing a Caribbean joint military alliance, similarly to NATO and the Warsaw Pact, which members nations can be called upon in the event a rogue nation infringes upon the sovereignty and integrity of a member state. The funding for a Caribbean joint military alliance is another issue that needs to be discussed and resolved. Guyana cannot truly claim to be independent if our policies are dictated by the superpowers.
Sincerely,
Dr. Seeraj Mattai, PhD
(Windsor), B.Sc (London)
