Vice-president issues warning to Venezuelan leader

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

VICE-PRESIDENT BHARRAT Jagdeo has warned Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro not to ”ever question” the resolve of Guyana, reiterating that the population remains united in the face of claims by Caracas to the ownership of the mineral and forest-rich county of Essequibo.

“Don’t ever question our resolve, Maduro, or don’t ever question the unity of our people and the solidarity that we’ll get from abroad on this matter. Do not ever question that. Don’t miscalculate on this issue,” Jagdeo told a public meeting in the town of Anna Regina on Sunday.

Jagdeo reminded the crowd that the government, opposition and people are united and determined in their defence of Essequibo, a 160,000 square county of Guyana.

Jagdeo dismissed claims by Venezuela that the CARICOM, country is in the “pockets” of the United States saying Guyana would take all necessary steps to repel any aggression.

“Let me make it clear: we have to defend, by all means, this country,” he said, adding that the Guyana government and the US Department of Defence have been holding “intense discussions”.

“We are not a warmongering nation but we got to protect this territory and our country,” he said, noting that Guyana could not trust Venezuela’s assurances, especially based on the rhetoric emanating from Caracas.

“We are not a Trojan horse to invade other countries but we will have military cooperation, defence cooperation with all of our allies, including the United States of America, that we’d be prepared for any outcome,” he added.

Venezuela is planning to stage a referendum on December 3 on the Essequibo issue, and has promised to provide identification cards to people residing in the area.

But Jagdeo said that the referendum is not more than an attempt by Caracas to leave the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where the border dispute is before it. Both countries are awaiting the latest ruling from the ICJ on the question of the referendum.

“We don’t want their ID cards. It’s useless,” Jagdeo said, reminding Venezuelan Vice-president Delcy Rodriquez that “people are fleeing your country … Rodriguez, if you didn’t notice it, and Maduro.

“They don’t want your ID cards. We are happy to be Guyanese, we are happy to live in our own country … We don’t want your ID cards, we don’t want you anywhere near our country,” Jagdeo added.

The vice-president described claims by Venezuela on Guyana’s territory, as well the attempts by Caracas to invalidate the 1899 Arbitral Award, as “bogus and invalid”.

“We believe that this referendum came about because of the weakness of their case. Venezuela twice sought to make a case that the ICJ did not have any jurisdiction to rule on this matter

“Two times, the ICJ said they had the jurisdiction almost unilaterally. So, today, they now have to present their case. But what are you going to present if you have a weak case? They have no case absolutely to present before the ICJ,” Jagdeo said.

Venezuela’s rejection of the Arbitral Award is hinged on a posthumous memorandum purportedly written by a junior member of Venezuela’s legal team at the 1899 arbitration, Severo Mallet-Provost, which claimed that there was corruption in the arbitration process, an allegation that has not been proven.

Jagdeo said that, with Venezuela’s general election on the horizon, the Maduro government may be using this referendum as a political ploy to gain support.

“I believe the Venezuela government is faced with elections soon, and they have a hard time mobilising people to vote for the ruling party. So, they are using this referendum as a distraction from their internal problems. People have fled hunger and hardship in Venezuela. The government there cannot campaign with the same sort of vigour they’ve been campaigning with this referendum,” he said.