Norris McDonald | Exxon, American hegemony, ‘Caribbean Oil Hunger Games’

“Tribal (global) war wi nuh want no more ah dat!

Tribal (global) war ah nuh dat wi ah defend…

No more war, no more war!

Tribal (global) war wi nuh want no more ah dat!”

- Tribal War, Little Roy

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto has accused America of establishing a military base on oil-rich lands that are the subjects of dispute between Guyana. This action, the foreign minister said, is aimed at blocking a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Mr Yvan Gil Pinto also accused “Guyana of granting oil concessions” in an area where there is a maritime dispute, in total violation of international law.

The Venezuelan foreign minister made this allegation while addressing the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.

The border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana dates back to 1899. Venezuela claims that then British colonial power seized vast tracts of their land in the Essequibo Estuary.

Guyana became a successor to this 1899 territorial dispute after they gained political independence from Britain, the old colonial power.

The political position of both parties significantly differs. Venezuela has insisted that Guyana and themselves ought to trash out this dispute. Guyana, on the other hand, has insisted on international mediation.

Guyana, therefore, took this border dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which ruled, in April 2023, that they have the necessary legal standing to hear the dispute.

The discovery of oil and gas has positioned Guyana to be producing 600,000 billion barrels by 2024. This vast wealth offers great prospects for Guyana’s economic development. But to the extent that oil exploration is done in the disputed border region between Venezuela and Guyana, it will certainly remain a source of continued, simmering tensions.

And this is one of Venezuela’s accusations against both America and Guyana. They told the United Nations that “the government of the United States of America seeks to appropriate our resources by using ExxonMobil”, with the government of Guyana as a willing collaborator.

These are extremely shocking allegations and yet, neither Guyana nor America has refuted these accusations.

Why?

CARIBBEAN HUNGER GAMES

Oil profits, the lust for money, and the protection of American multinational corporations such as Exxon by the US military may well be a potential of regional conflict.

Exxon’s massive lust for profit, and that of the other oil companies, was anticipated by me in my May 17, 2019 Gleaner commentary on, ‘Caribbean Hunger Games’.

I had warned then about the protentional brewing Category 5 storm of regional exploitation.

Now we see Exxon getting exorbitant profits at the expense of Guyana’s citizens.

Exxon’s net profit last year was US$57 billion, which was a whopping 144 per cent over 2021. Part of this massive wealth came from the oil spigot of the Guyanese wealth boom.

This ‘Caribbean oil Hunger Games’ appears to be now devolving into the historic pattern of ‘American gunboat diplomacy’.

If the accusations against Guyana are true, it would follow a pattern in which there has been shady, underhand behaviour in how the political ruling class has conducted the affairs of the country.

Guyana has been accused of signing “an extremely corrupt profit-sharing deal” in which oil companies such as Exxon unjustly gained US$55 billion of their nation’s wealth.

This was beyond the normal expectations to make profit. It included extremely high recoupment cost by Exxon and others that put Guyana at a financial disadvantage.

Veteran Caribbean journalist Canute James said that Guyana negotiated and signed an extremely “exploitative deal” with Exxon.

In the face of widespread international condemnation, the Guyanese government said that it would “plug all loopholes” in the profit-sharing agreement.

US ‘ANTI-CHINA WAR PLANS’

In the meantime, America, for years, has steadfastly denied that it had any plans to establish any military base in Guyana. And yet it has been secretly conducting ‘war games’ in Guyana with the intent “to contain Russia and China”.

Operation Trade Winds (TW23), America’s military exercise, aims “to prepare for disputes” that undermine their hegemonic plans.

Professor Nadia Hemley, in a July 30, 2023 expert analysis, published in moderndiplomacy.eu, discussed America’s regional war preparations plans, ‘Force Structure 2030’.

She said that these plans were prepared by the US Central Command and, among other things, were aimed at “military confrontation with China”.

Jamaica, whether willingly or dragged along on a rattling rolling-calf neck chain, has apparently been drawn into these ‘anti-China war plans’.

According to Professor Hemley, Jamaica was among 15 CARICOM countries, along with France, Mexico, Canada and Britain, that participated in this hegemonic military exercise.

Why is America preparing for war with China in this region? And why is Jamaica allowing itself to be dragged into America’s neurotic, Cold War mentality, hegemonic plans?

After all, has the country, and the region, not gained tremendous benefit from China’s generosity and humanistic spirit?

China, under the Belt and Road Initiative, has invested US$8.1 billion in 10 Caribbean countries, including Jamaica.

So countries such as Jamaica are taking China’s money, while being coerced into military training aimed at “confronting China”.

Why is it that everything is centred on military intervention and not conflict resolution?

EMPTY TALK, EMPTY PROMISES

Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in the meantime, has been vocal in a demand that those “who profited from the Atlantic slave trade must pay reparations to today’s generation”.

Wow! Talk yu talk!

That is a good thing. But why is it that the wealth of this present generation is being given away to foreign corporations through bad oil profit-sharing deals?

Clearly, it is easier for Guyana to fix the problems of giving away their national wealth to Exxon and others, even as they mouth politically correct phrases about slave reparations.

We are yet to see any serious action from Guyana to repudiate the internationally condemned “bad profit-sharing deal” that they signed with Exxon and other oil companies.

Finally, given America’s long history of attempting to overthrow the Venezuelan government, why would Guyana take action that sharpens border conflicts and tensions?

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali can, therefore, talk all he wants about reparations from slavery, but he must first liberate his people from oil wealth theft and seek a just resolution to the border conflict with Venezuela.

That is just the ‘bitta’ truth!

- Norris McDonald is an economic journalist, political analyst, and respiratory therapist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and miaminorris@yahoo.com.