Dear Editor,
“We have two leaders who are mature and wise, Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela, and I expect them to apply their maturity and wisdom and patience and calm,” said Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, President Pro Tempore of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), who was acting in the capacity as one of the facilitators and interlocutors.
President Ali and his argonauts returned home as heroes in their rights from Argyle, SVG. Not bending or bowing to, or bartering or bargaining with, any bluffer, bully or braggart, Dr. Ali did not betray the nation, but bestowed dignity and integrity to honour Guyana’s principles and property.
The boisterous President Maduro left any belligerence back in Caracas to shake hands with the collected and controlled President Ali calmly. President Ali did not allow President Maduro to dominate the discussion with his demands, but rather held his post to daunt Maduro’s hopes and aspirations to further any banditry for Venezuela.
The two Presidents agreed to refrain from using force against each other, even in existing controversies; thus maintaining Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro agreed to rendezvous on December 14, 2023 in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to discuss matters consequential to the territory in dispute between their two countries. Along with Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, these discussions were facilitated by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, and H.E. Mr. Celso Amorim, Special Adviser and Personal Envoy of H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
It wasn’t a debate over a specific topic, nor was it a meeting with a fixed agenda, but a forum for discussions involving dialogue with the intent of reaching an amicable agreement or settlement. As former UG senior lecturer and moderator for “The Guyana Dialogue” in New York, Dr. Tara Singh, had anticipated and advised earlier in the day, the day ended with an 11-point declaration agreed to by both Presidents. In a cordial environment, the gathering included various distinguished heads from CARICOM and dignitaries from the United Nations, Colombia and Honduras.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali maintained that Essequibo “is not up for discussion, negotiation or deliberation.” He proudly wore a thick leather bracelet on his right wrist featuring the outline of Guyana, including the disputed Essequibo region. “All of this belongs to Guyana,” Ali said. “No narrative, propaganda [or] decree can change this. This is Guyana.”
President Ali staunchly protected the sovereignty of Guyana, and remained a proud, patriotic son of this nation. He calmly held the line of diplomacy, making it pellucid to President Maduro that “the controversy must be resolved at the ICJ, and we are unwavering and resolute in ensuring that Guyana’s case is presented and defended.”
Knowing that he has the backing of the international community, he did not restrain himself, but said, “Should Venezuela proceed to act in this reckless and adventurous manner, the region will have to respond.”
As we remember our fallen heroes, and continue to pay tribute to their bravery, Guyanese can safely say that there will be no Grinch to steal their Christmas, and they can go about their business peacefully, planning and preparing for the festive season. President Ali has removed any tension which was overshadowing the peace and stability in Guyana, removing the fear of war while maintaining the independence of Guyanese and retaining Essequibo; and also protecting Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Exxon last week declared, “We are not going anywhere — our focus remains on developing the resources efficiently and responsibly, per our agreement with the Guyanese Government.”
As we enjoy a moment of relief, the rest of the world is plagued with their plights. Eight-year-old Abdullah Jabr, an injured child from the Israel/Hamas war, and in the Bureij refugee camp, said, “War is stupid.” President Putin told the Russians: “The existence of our country without sovereignty is impossible. It will simply not exist.” He also commented that “there will be peace [in Ukraine] when we achieve our objectives”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at a news conference in Brussels, warned, “If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not end there.” Mia Mottley, Barbados Prime Minister, added: “We need now to stretch every sinew in our body to ensure that the people of this region do not join the list in the rest of the world that are seeing war and disruption.
“Our consciousness has been infused with the presence of war from Ukraine and Russia to the war in Africa, across many different territories, to the war in the Middle East. And the one thing that we have said in this region is that we don’t want to lose the region as a zone of peace,” Mottley said.
On returning home, Venezuela President Nicholas Maduro said, “It was a fruitful day, intense, at moments tense, where we could speak the truth.” He also thanked President Ali for his “frankness and willingness to have an ample dialogue,” hailing the meeting as a triumph of diplomacy. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said that “to use a cricket metaphor, this is not a one-day cricket match.”
There will be follow-up meetings shortly. Can the wily Maduro be trusted?
Yours respectively,
Jai Lall