In the interest of its own territorial integrity, and matters beyond its control, co-leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Dr. David Hinds, said Guyana cannot afford to take a side, and should therefore adopt a neutral position on the situation unfolding in neighboring Venezuela .
Outside the fact that Venezuela has been a “ bad boy ” to Guyana, Dr Hinds noted that this country has no regional nor hemispheric influence over the matter.
“ I am clear in my mind that Guyana and countries in the English-speaking Caribbean must take a neutral position on the big global issues. And by neutral, I mean we must not come down on either side.
It is our business, but it is also not our business, because we can do nothing to influence it. And so I am urging Guyana to take a neutral position here, ” Dr Hinds said during his online programme ‘ Politics 101 with Dr David Hinds,’ Monday evening.
Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro is facing drug trafficking charges in the United States. He was abducted by US military on Saturday, sparking a mixture of global outcry and jubilation over his capture.
Dr Hinds said while the US is pursuing its economic interests in Venezuela , Guyana does not have economic nor political interests in its Spanish- speaking neighbor.
“Our interest in Venezuela has to do with our territory. That is what should guide our stance on Venezuela. They came to our territory and the spillover of war to Guyana. We are already seeing the confusion in our country with the Venezuelans who have fled here. Colombians and Brazilians. Imagine another 100,000 or half million Venezuelans coming over our border. Our interest is the level of migration from war and destabilisation coming here, saboteurs, and the territorial claim to our land.”
The political analyst argued that even if Guyana insists on having an interest in the affairs of Venezuela, it does not have any amount of leverage. “We are not at the table. And that why I am arguing that Guyana should take a neutral position.”
He clarified however, that neutrality does not mean Guyana should remain silent and allow the wind to blast anywhere. According to Dr Hinds, the country and its government should still “stand for something” as a nation.
“We must talk to America to conduct its foreign policy in a way that does not overtly hurt Guyana. There must be condemnation for violation of international law.”
At the same time, Guyana must not antagonise neither Venezuela nor America. He said Venezuela , on one hand, has been locked in a decades-long territorial controversy with Guyana . The US, on the other hand, has been influencing regime change in Guyana from as far back as 1964 to as recently as 2020.
“So we in Guyana know what the US can do. Venezuela is masking universal claims to Guyana’s land. Both its government and opposition.”
While Regime change influenced by any country is morally and politically wrong, as a government, he said Guyana has no business in the debate on regime change in Venezuela.
“What is happening there, we must ask in Guyana, how is it going to affect in a positive way, the territorial thing. It does not.”
He said “ if we celebrate regime change from Maduro to Moshado ( Venezuela’s opposition leader), Moshado is more hawkish on Guyana’s territory than Maduro. Jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Keep our mouth out or that regime change nonsense.”
Dr. Hinds said regime change in Venezuela does not help Guyana, reiterating that as a small nation without leverage, there is no influence.
