Dear Editor,
To claim what’s not yours is an act of misplaced aggression. To continue to want to grab what has been settled by international arbitration is a show of contempt for the rule of law.
To decide on one day you will use this decree and the next day use another in efforts to push an agenda which is known to have no moral and international legal basis and support among right-thinking people is a sign of desperation.
All 83,000 square miles and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in relation to Guyana remain ours!
President Maduro’s failure to provide basic amenities for the citizens of Venezuela has angered his people, resulting in series of protest actions and widespread discontent. The President’s failure to properly address domestic affairs has seen him turning his personal aggression against Guyana and other sovereign nations. The intention of President Maduro’s act is to rally the citizens of Venezuela against Guyana and others with a view to diverting attention from his failed economic policies.
The continuous threat by Venezuela has had a negative impact on this country’s development. History has shown that we lost the realisation of the Upper Mazaruni hydro-power development under the government of then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham because Vene-zuela deliberately scared off investors and bankers.
Today we are confronted with President Maduro’s act to stymie the production of oil which could bring down our costs in building an efficient manufacturing sector through a cheap energy supply.
An effective manufacturing sector could create thousands of jobs for Guyanese to be employed. Cheap energy means the small man can benefit from jobs, goods and services at affordable prices. For the society it means improved and expanded social services and infrastructure.
Together this means economic development for the society and a steep reduction in poverty.
This act of economic aggression by President Maduro is intended to circumscribe our sovereignty by making us dependent on Venezuela which will play a significant role in determining our national programmes. Already, we have seen President Maduro’s attitude towards us when it comes to the PetroCaribe deal oil for rice deal.
For President Maduro, who is the aggressor, to become offended when we stridently respond to his aggression is a reflection of the fact that he does not understand that Guyana is a sovereign nation and has a right to defend its territorial integrity.
Guyanese are required first and foremost to recognise that we too have a country that we call home, and for this reason we must protect and defend every inch that belongs to us.
We must remember it is not what our country can do for us but what we can do for our country. Let us cooperate for Guyana and resolve to stand together against this aggression. Yes we can!
Yours faithfully,
K Sharma Solomon
