“I am not unhappy with the US position,” said Vice President and Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge, speaking about the US position on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy (iNews July 14). It is not known whether the use of the double negative indicated that the Vice President was merely satisfied, and not enthusiastic. If it did, he had good reason. The US played a dominant role in the 19th century in pressuring Great Britain on behalf of Venezuela to agree to arbitration of the border dispute. Like Venezuela, it accepted the Arbitral Award of 1899. The US has therefore recognized Guyana’s borders from 1899 to the present, but has pointedly not said so.
Both Caricom and the Commonwealth have repeatedly affirmed recognition of Guyana’s internationally accepted borders. Commonwealth foreign ministers, meeting in New York last week, did so again, as did Caricom at its recent heads of government meeting. The confirmation of such a position by the US, based on historical facts,
