Meaningless meeting

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This meeting was always unlikely to be productive, considering the parties involved were both cognitively limited, with one being an uneducated truck driver and the other a university dropout. Where from the inception, they appeared not to be singing from the same hymnal, or rather blindly guided by different agendas. For one,  Nicolás Maduro being steered by an agenda which informs, the border controversy will be paramount and topical, in the high-level airport discussion.

Whilst the other, Irfaan Ali, was of the conviction, the land boundary isn’t a matter for bilateral discussions. Since, as he clumsily articulates, the settlement of the matter is properly in the International Court of Justice, where it must remain, until the Court gives its final ruling. But there is just one issue with such an argument; Nicolás Maduro refuses to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, which makes his position irreconcilable when viewed in the context of ours.

However, this is turning out to be an international embarrassment, as both leaders, so unforgettably clownish, thus can be aptly characterise, Calamity in Chief. And calamitous they both are, even as either party boast of being blessed with the mandate, from the masses. Having said that, the truck driver President was only able to muster 10% of the electorate, who cast their ballots for his sham referendum. A referendum which can be described as comical at best, having posted a question on annexing the mineral and oil rich Essequibo. An Essequibo that has been positioned in our geography latitudes and longitudes, for over a century and counting. An Essequibo that will forever be our own, even if it means we have to be kamikaze fighters, sacrificing our lives.

Therefore, to this calamitous meeting, we must and will return. Where both leaders, if they are worthy of such a characterisation, appear clueless as to what an agenda entails. Thus, clarity and meaning we shall duly add, by undertaking research of the Oxford Dictionary. In which, an agenda when paraphrased, represents a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting. As a matter of fact, having an agenda meeting, can be most advantageous, since it saves time, by providing a clear set of topics, objectives, and time frames.

Mark’s Take

The fact is, this pantomime of a meeting would’ve been funny if it weren’t of such serious matters. For this international crisis, could easily lead to an armed conflict between the two pauperised Nations. However, with the disparity in military hardware and personnel between the two countries, it’s likely that Venezuela would easily inflict a pummelling on us. For Venezuela has the most sophisticated military artillery, whilst we have enthusiastic young men armed with pistols, being transported by Skyvans. Which means, diplomacy, with us having the superior arguments, is our only viable option.

Having said that, this meeting has taken place in the context of Venezuela advancing steps to annex Essequibo. Where Nicolas Maduro has decreed that Venezuelan companies are to be granted concessions to occupy Essequibo, completely disregarding us as the rightful owners. Further, in contradiction to the International Court of Justice orders, Nicolas Maduro has set an ultimatum of three months for non-Venezuelan companies to vacate the Essequibo area. Furthermore, and more concerningly, the Venezuelan Congress has passed a US$20.5B budget, with allocation to advance their illegal claims to the Essequibo region, which has been part of our territory since the Arbitral Award, in 1899.

And it’s for these reasons, we have to query the purpose of the meeting, considering Venezuela has already taken steps, even as they arrived at the irreversible conclusion that Essequibo is theirs. As a matter of fact, they haven’t only determined that Essequibo is theirs, they are taking proactive steps to illegally annex the county. Thus, it’s the conviction of this column, this meeting shouldn’t have been, since it was always destined for failure. Always destined for failure, since after arduous hours of Talks, the status quo has remained the same, with Venezuela intended annexation, albeit without force.

That said, this shambolic meeting we must further explore, through interrogation.

1. If these leaders, assuming they are, recognised that their agenda weren’t in concordance, why didn’t they address it before they met?
2. If it weren’t possible to have their agendas in alignment, why didn’t they reconvene the meeting for a later date, if at all?

But likely it’s, such rational thinking is beyond the cognitive abilities of an uneducated truck driver and a university dropout. As a result, a meaningless meeting we were forced to endure, between two buffoons, at the Argyle International Airport. Thus, our prayer, that we never have to experience this pantomime again.

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