AFC POSITION IN PARLIAMENT ON VENEZUELA MOTION PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS MEET 22 TIMES UNDER COALITION AND 3 TIMES UNDER CURRENT PPP

The Alliance For Change in a joint parliamentary action with APNU reiterated our support  for Guyana’s soverignity and territorial integrity. However we were forced to withhold support  for a motion brought by the government because it lacked clear and decisive action on how  Guyana will counter the threats posed by Venezuela. We note that the Government’s motion failed to condemn outright the elections proposed by Venezuela on May 25th – the eve of our independence celebration. 

The AFC expresses disappointment that several recommendations on this issue presented to the government over the last three years have fallen on deaf ears.  

We reiterate that the longstanding and increasingly volatile border controversy with the  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is not the concern of one party or one government alone. It is a national issue. That calls for the full weight of Guyanese unity, resolve, and collective statesmanship. 

At no time in our history has the imperative for national unity been more vital. For this is not merely a contest over territory, it is a test of our maturity as a people, our fortitude as a nation,  and our capacity to rise above partisanship in the defence of sovereignty. Let us be absolutely clear of the AFC’s position: Guyana has never, and will never, abandon the 1899 Award. Our case is just, our position firm, and our commitment to peaceful resolution unwavering. That is why, in 2018, Guyana, under the APNU+AFC coalition government, took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial authority under the  United Nations Charter. We did so not to escalate, but to ensure finality through the rule of law. 

In the last few years, we have seen an alarming intensification of Venezuela’s aggression. This includes decrees asserting sovereignty over the Essequibo, the holding of a national referendum to annexe Guyanese territory, and most dangerously, military deployments and posturing along our western frontier and the proposed Venezuelan election on Essequibo. In the face of such threats, we must not waver, we must not retreat, we must stand united—for our sovereignty, for our people, and for the sacred integrity of the land our ancestors toiled upon.

But it is with a heavy heart that we in the AFC say that the Government has failed to act in a manner that reflects this national unity.  

From 2015 to 2018, during the APNU+AFC administration, the parliamentary committee on foreign relations, which includes government and opposition participation, met 22  times. That is the model we set—a model of dialogue, consultation, and inclusion in matters of national interest. But in the five years of this PPP/C administration, from 2020 to date, the foreign relations committee has met 3 times. This is a clear example of the PPP’s lack of commitment towards including the opposition in creating a national approach to our border controversy.  

The PPP cannot call for unity only when it suits itself. Unity must be built before the storm, not during it. When sovereignty is threatened, there is no PPP, APNU or AFC. There is only  Guyana. Let us therefore use this pivotal moment to craft a new national compact—one in which security, diplomacy, and territorial integrity are not dictated by the party in power, but guided by the collective will of the people, through their representatives. 

Let me now lay out a series of specific, practical AFC recommendations for how we move  forward, not as government and opposition, but as Guyanese: 

1. Institutionalise Bipartisan Engagement 

Let us establish a Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Territorial Integrity, comprising representatives from all major political parties, civil society, and the diplomatic corps. This body should meet quarterly to be briefed and to contribute to strategies. 

2. Transparency and Information Sharing 

We call for regular, classified briefings to the opposition on all developments—legal, diplomatic,  military, and political—relating to the Venezuela dispute. National security must not be a partisan secret. 

3. Civic Education and National Mobilisation 

Let the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture launch a nationwide public education campaign to inform all Guyanese—young and old—about the legal basis for our borders, the nature of the dispute, and the importance of unity. We must build a national culture of vigilance,  pride, and responsibility. 

4. International Unity of Purpose 

Our diplomats abroad must speak with one Guyanese voice. We recommend a joint parliamentary mission—inclusive of opposition and civil society—to key capitals: Washington,  Brussels, London, Beijing, and within CARICOM. We must show the world that Guyana stands united in peace and firm in sovereignty.

5. Strategic Military Preparedness 

While Guyana remains committed to diplomacy, we must never appear vulnerable. We support the modernisation of our defence force, but call for civilian oversight and parliamentary involvement in key decisions about military cooperation and preparedness. 

History has taught us that when a nation is divided within, it becomes vulnerable without.  Venezuela’s aggression must therefore not only summon our outrage—it must summon our unity.