By Nicole Telford- “Conversation with Rickford Burke” online programme was robust and dynamic with host, Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute on Democracy (CGID) and guests, Opposition parliamentarian Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairperson Catharine ‘Cathy” Hughes and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Central Executive Committee Member Ret’d Rear Admiral Dr. Gary Best, covering a range of issues on The Guyana-Venezuela Border Controversy And Guyana’s National Security.
The conversation unearthed several instances of mismanagement while examining the failures of the People’s Progressive Party Civic Government (PPP/C), with regard to addressing the Guyanese nation, instilling a sense of pride, nationhood, preparedness, and lack of policies to address the thrust of Venezuela aggression to coincide with managing the affairs of Guyana.
Burke questioned his guests on Guyana’s preparedness to sensitise the nation to the aggression, citing that “Venezuela has ads on television running now, telling its children that Essequibo is theirs.”
Govt responds to much flak for its inattention to the Venezuela situation
Best, former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defense Force, said the Guyana Government has now decided after much flak from activists and the Opposition, the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), to reach out to the Opposition and convene the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee.
One of the first statements that should have been made by the Leaders of Guyana is that “no more Venezuelans will be coming into Guyana” Best added. Thereafter, he said, the work of investigation to determine economic migrants from a lot of Venezuelans pouring over our borders should be done to determine who will be repatriated to Venezuela. It is Best’s view the Guyana Government is subsidising the economic mismanagement of Venezuela by its President Maduro while Maduro is trying to annex Guyana.
Burke questioned Guyana’s policies position to deter Venezuela from coming to annex Essequibo as intended after the declared referendum on December 3rd 2023
Engage in international diplomacy
The Rear Admiral, seen as an expert on International Relations, listed three critical measures or levels of intervention, “International, Regional and National” making known that he expects to see Foreign Minister Hugh Todd visiting all the capitals, including Havana, Moscow, Columbia, Brasilia, as well as China, to speak on the issue of Venezuela aggression. That would speak volumes and augur well for the country, he noted. “The fact that I am not seeing that means that the government has abandoned defensive diplomacy as the first line of defense for small states.”
The Ret’d Rear Admiral said Guyana’s next task, regionally, would be to engage CARICOM. Guyana needs a better statement from CARICOM he said. “We need to speak to CARICOM countries individually, and speak to their leaders so that they could depend on Guyana and its resources and newfound wealth to help develop them because we depended on CARICOM when we were in tough times.”
Close Western border with Venezuela
Dr. Best said more so, at the national level we need national leadership, as he reiterated the call to “ imbue national confidence in the People of Guyana.” To this end, he proposed statements that say, “we will stop economic migrants and refugees from coming to this country.” According to him, if there is lack of confidence citizens will become lazy and lethargic, which could result in decrease in production, and the entire production of the country will decrease, and investment will be deterred.
“Venezuela has conducted Economic Warfare on Guyana” Best said. He made known that the cost of doing business in Guyana is very high, the International Risk Assessment when done by International Agencies on Guyana speaks to the interest rates being very high, the marine insurance rates for Guyana is high. So, “Venezuela knows exactly what it is doing,..Venezuela is behaving like a hitman to Guyana” the ret’d Rear Admiral stated. “We have to pause and determine who has familiar ties along with those who don’t have, and repatriate Venezuelans and that would require to some extent the closure of our western borders with Venezuela.”
