By Rickford Burke
There is yet another alarming development and cause for grave concern about the purpose and agenda of the controversial meeting between Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, and Venezuela’s President, Nichlos Maduro.
While Ali has insisted that the talks will not include the border controversy or Guyana’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Maduro in a letter to Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, the meeting convener, asserted that the purpose of the meeting with Ali is to “directly address the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana.” See Maduro’s letter attached.
Maduro’s assertion means either Ali is misleading the Guyanese nation about the purpose of the meeting, or the meeting agenda is in dispute and the meeting is as contentious and controversial as the border controversy itself.
It is however important to note that Maduro’s declaration that the border controversy is the item for discussion on the agenda, is consistent with Gonsalves’ letter to both Ali and Maduro, inviting them to the meeting. Gonsalves stated in his letter that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss “matters consequential to the border controversy.”
Ali, nevertheless, continues to haplessly ignore Maduro’s assertion and declared the matter will not be discussed. Yesterday he trotted our Sir Shridath Ramphal, the Guyanese former Commonwealth Secretary General to vouch for the veracity of his contention, which has now been obliterated by Maduro’s letter.
Moreover, sensing that the meeting is overly controversial and may end in total disaster with no yield of positive results, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva pulled out of attending the meeting, according to news reports.
Lula said he made the decision to abstain from the Ali-Maduro meeting, after consultations with his Foreign Minister. Lula announced that he will instead send a junior envoy, who is Celso Amorim, the foreign relations advisor to Lula. Not even the Brazilian Foreign Minister will attend.
Clearly Ali is being outmaneuvered by Maduro and Gonsalves as he obviously did not agree to an agenda prior to accepting the invitation for the meeting. These are the people who are asking the Guyanese nation to trust them on this matter.
While Ali announced what his talking points will be for the agenda, Maduro has announced that Guyana has agreed to a face to face discussion as the only means to settle the controversy.
Even though this is false, the PPP government has remained silent as it continues to appease Venezuela. This is what happens when you go it alone with the people’s patrimony and behave as though Guyana is your personal property as Jagdeo and Ali have been doing.
Given Maduro’s assertion, the people of Guyana must demand that President Irfaan Ali decline to attend this meeting.
