Last Updated on Sunday, 26 November 2023, 21:10 by Written By Denis Chabrol
Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Sunday warned Venezuela’s President not to “miscalculate”, even as he reiterated that his country was not interested in the establishment of a United States (US) military base but would work with its defence partners to stave off any aggression by its western neighbour.
Addressing Essequibo Coast residents from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) in the town of Anna Regina, he said government, opposition and people are united and determined in their defence of Essequibo, a 160,000 square kilometre mineral and forest-rich county of Guyana.
“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,” said Mr Jagdeo who is also General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party.
Vice President Jagdeo called on Venezuela to stop attempting to bully Guyana threatening peace in the region and the Western Hemisphere. Alluding to repeated “lies” that Guyana was planning to use the US to invade Venezuela and that “we’re in the pockets” of Washington, he said 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. He said the Guyana government and the US Department of Defence had been holding “intense discussion”. “We are not a war-mongering nation but we got to protect this territory and our country,” he said, adding 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.
Except for the “sycophant”, Nicaragua, he said the international community has isolated Venezuela which appears bent on using the referendum as a means of exiting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) because it has a “weak” case that Essequibo is hers.
Mr Jagdeo said Essequibians that they would continue to remain residents and citizens of Guyana. “We don’t want their ID cards. It’s useless,” he said in clear reference to Venezuela’s December 3 referendum that he said was aimed at flouting international law, rejecting peaceful means to settle the territorial controversy and voting for a “grab” of Guyana’s territory. “People are fleeing your country, (Venezuelan Vice President) Delcy 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 you ID cards, we don’t want you anywhere near our country,” he said.
The Vice President called on attendees to engage in greater Social Media activism to debunk the lies being peddled by Venezuelans. He urged Guyanese not to help Venezuelans by spreading their rumours and propaganda.
