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As all patriotic Guyanese have done, I hail and welcome the decision of April 6 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This is the second time that the ICJ has ruled – in favor of Guyana – that the Court has jurisdiction to decide the case of the controversy with Venezuela; the first such ruling was back in September 2020.
While this ruling is a key step in ending Venezuela’s unfounded claim over our territory, it is by no means the end of the matter. This ruling, although it is important, has only opened the door for the Court to hear the substantive case, and make a decision. That process may take years.
Citizens, we must be cautious in how we react to the ICJ ruling. At this early stage of the process, a celebration may be premature. You see, Venezuela has demonstrated that it is determined to take our territory and claim our resources. Venezuela is greedy for our property. We must be mindful that a large number of Venezuela’s citizens live in Guyana. Would it be surprising if some of them have been sent here as spies and agents? That would not surprise me at all.
Fellow citizens now is the time to be on high alert. Our military should be deployed appropriately, and our diplomatic personnel should be at their desks. We need to take threats from Venezuela very seriously. We must be prepared to repel any act of aggression by Venezuela. And, the recent ruling in favour of Guyana may prompt an aggressive response from our greedy neighbour.
There is also another problem; Suriname has a territorial claim against Guyana.
The Tigri Area is a wooded area that has been disputed by Guyana and Suriname since around 1840. It involves the area between the Upper Corentyne River (also called the New River), the Coeroeni River, and the Kutari River. This triangular area is known as the New River Triangle in Guyana. In 1969 the conflict ran high, since then, the area has been controlled by Guyana and claimed by Suriname.
My point is that there are at least two simmering claims on Guyana’s territory. Now that it has been discovered that our country is rich in oil and gas resources, it will not surprise me if such claims intensify or increase in number.
All things considered, I believe that the government of Guyana – no matter who may comprise such a government – should have a comprehensive, written policy to deal with any territorial issue that may now exist or arise in the future. My brothers and sisters, we must be prepared and alert, and having such a policy would be part and parcel of such preparedness.
Citizens, with this in mind, I call on all parties to put aside political differences, sit together at the table of cooperation, discuss the matter, and formulate a policy that may be used by any government in power in Guyana to address territorial matters. Such a policy would have to be passed by Parliament and enshrined into law.
Similarly, I call on all Guyanese – regardless of political affiliation – to support the protection of our territory. We, as citizens, must band together for the good of our beautiful country. In other words, when it comes to matters of our territory, sovereignty, independence, and protection of our national patrimony, we must not allow anything to divide us. We must stand together as one people, living in one nation, in pursuit of one destiny.
I take this opportunity to commend everyone who has contributed to our continued success at the ICJ. In particular, I commend former President Brigadier David Granger for starting the judicial process in 2020. I commend former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and his team for their work on the diplomatic front. And I commend Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall and his legal team for making our recent victory possible.
My fellow citizens, if we work together hand in hand, Guyana will always prevail.
