Brazil’s Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo De Paula says there is no place in South America for old territorial disputes and Brasilia will not tolerate turmoil on its borders.
“I firmly believe that in the 21st century there is no place for old territorial disputes. Guyana has the right and I agree that the government has a duty to seek the development of the country. The common goal should be the welfare of all peoples of the region. South America is a place of peace and will continue to be because Brazil will not accept any turmoil in its borders,” the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) reported the Ambassador as saying.
The Ambassador was speaking at a function to celebrate Brazil’s 193rd Independence Anniversary at his residence on Peter Rose Street on Monday evening.
The Ambassador’s statement will be seen as a pointed warning to Venezuela which in the past months has mounted an aggressive campaign to re-assert its claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region and is also seeking to thwart oil exploration in this country’s Atlantic waters. Caracas has recalled its Ambassador from Georgetown in the wake of a full-scale campaign by Guyana at various fora to have the Venezuelan aggression condemned.
The MOTP statement said that while delivering the keynote address at the event, President David Granger said Guyana is looking forward to working with Brazil to reaffirm the inviolability of borders on the continent.
“We are encouraged by Brazil’s determination not to accept any disturbance on its borders,” President Granger said, according to the MOTP statement. He added that Guyana has the right and a duty to seek the economic development of its resources for the good of its people.
Speaking on bilateral relations between Guyana and Brazil, President Granger said both countries, have a vested interest in each other’s progress. “We recall with a deep sense of satisfaction, the state visit of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, March 2007, and the commissioning of the bridge between Guyana and Brazil in September 2009,” President Granger said.
The visit and the bridge, President Granger said, signified the broad areas of bilateral cooperation that have existed over the past 47 years. Granger said that he is committed to the deepening and strengthening of cooperation with Brazil and more fruitful talks with the President of that country.
De Paula said the celebration seeks to bring the two countries together as they reaffirm their commitment to a free society, and a stable and lasting democracy.
In reaffirming his country’s commitment to Guyana’s development, the Ambassador said “Brazil has a vested interest in the development of Guyana and we are always ready to help.” He added that the areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries are broad and include the infrastructural development projects needed for a better connection between the two countries that share a border of over a thousand kilometers.
The MOTP release said that the Ambassador also took the opportunity to congratulate President Granger on his election, describing the process as one “marked by respect for the constitution.” “I firmly believe that alternation of power is essential to any democracy, the Ambassador added.
