Submersible
The change of government and the aggression shown by Venezuela towards Guyana have brought the PetroCaribe energy agreement into sharp focus. In existence since June 
2005, the PetroCaribe agreement existed like a submersible operating at shallow depths below the surface of the water and with parts of the programme becoming visible every now and then. Earlier this year, the programme became the focus of attention as the price of oil began to decline and public officials and analysts alike in Guyana speculated about the survivability of the programme. Even before concerns about the longevity of the PetroCaribe programme for Guyana could subside, the matter raised its head once again following the passing of the obnoxious Decree 1787 by Venezuela in an attempt to usurp Guyana’s maritime space. For many Guyanese, PetroCaribe has become synonymous more with rice than with the acquisition of oil under favourable terms that underlie the energy agreement. During the 2015 election campaign, former President Bharrat Jagdeo was at pains to explain to rice farmers in the Essequibo that PetroCaribe had little to do with rice and more to do with the sale of oil at concessionary prices. The symbiotic relationship that has developed between the two commodities, encouraged by his own government and party, made that a hard sell. Like the rice farmers, many Guyanese remain uncertain as to what PetroCaribe is about and its implications for the security and economic future of the country. This article attempts to offer some thoughts on those issues.
A man of compassion
The PetroCaribe Energy Co-operation Agreement is a creation of the late Hugo Chávez Frias who served as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from February 1999 to March 2013. It is said that action speaks louder than words, and if one were to go by his actions, the late President Hugo Chávez, appeared to be a man of compassion. The PetroCaribe programme that he created had three goals in mind. One was to contribute to th
