There have been some interesting developments over the past few days. On the international stage, there is Venezuela that has threatened to bomb Georgetown if the United States attacks it.
That is frightening to say the least. People have seen what happens when missiles land on those solid buildings in the Middle East. They come crashing down. Georgetown is wooden. The homes would be blown to smithereens. Guyana would be destroyed.
People would have nowhere to shelter since we do not have bomb shelters.
Against advice from some quarters Guyana allowed Venezuelans to cross the borders into this country. They then moved freely to live wherever they pleased. The government did not object because the Venezuelan presence meant votes for the incumbent.
But some of the Venezuelans in Guyana are military men and women. Not being a country steeped in war, Guyana never understood the implications. The result is that Venezuela knows where to target. The comment by the Venezuelan general is cause for concern.
The Caribbean region is well aware of its limitations, especially when it comes to military confrontations. Because of this, the region keeps insisting that it remains a zone of peace. It is no longer a zone of peace.
There are warships and planes and all manner of armaments in the region. There was always the United States Southern Command which offered medical and technical assistance to countries in the region. Now the forces have been beefed up.
The Americans say that they are fighting the drug trade out of Venezuela. The Venezuelans say that the objective is to remove Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela. Whatever the reason, the Americans have fired the first salvo. They have shot a boat said to be a drug runner, killing eleven people.
Recently, another boat was destroyed. Others have been detained and searched. Reports state that there has been a massive reduction in the movement of suspected drug runners. But the US military presence remains.
On the local scene, the People’s National Congress Reform is haemorrhaging. Within the past week two prominent members have resigned. One of them, a leading advocate, has left the party altogether. He appeared to be very angry.
He deleted all the messages on his WhatsApp page. He also stopped taking calls from some people.
The actions by these latest departures bring back memories of Barbados a few years ago. While none of the men who have left have publicly offered a reason many believe that their departure is linked to their non-selection to sit in parliament.
At the end of the 2020 elections the major opposition secured 31 seats. This time around PNCR leader, Aubrey Norton, has 12. With so many expecting to be selected, some people had to be disappointed.
There was a time when Barbados threatened to remove itself from the West Indies Cricket Board. Some Barbadians were not being selected to the West Indies team. This sparked the ire of the Barbadians who said that they should play as a separate entity.
In the end good sense prevailed and Barbados declined to remove itself from the West Indies Cricket Board.
The same cannot be said of those members of the People’s National Congress Reform. There was a limit to the number that could have been selected to sit in Parliament. According to reports, one of the departed contended that he was disrespected.
In the face of this latest bout of haemorrhage, the party insists that it will rebound. It has been in existence for seventy years and this is not the first storm that it has had to weather.
At the same time, the task is being made more difficult. People on the outside are seeing a collapse of immense proportions. The party leader says that the party is witnessing those who are loyal and those who want personal gratification.
One can understand that people expect to be rewarded for their hard work. While some people would sit back and say, next time, others would simply become frustrated at having to wait for their reward. They would quit.
And in the National Assembly the PNCR would see some who were parliamentarians in its benches during the last parliament, sitting with another party. There are at least seven. One of them was a former General Secretary of the PNCR.
Meanwhile, some of those who opted to vote for another party because of what they perceived to be the largesse of that party are now moaning and complaining.
The ruling party, in the run-up to the elections, awarded numerous contracts to people with no experience. There were smiles. There was also the warning that after the elections, the contracts would dry up.
The people did not believe.
Those contracts have indeed dried up. There is no more money to the extent that people can ill afford to buy a pound of sugar. Some are asking about the promised cash grant. They can’t find jobs and hunger stalks. The glory days are over.
