Weaponise the GDF; Maduro needed to withdraw threats WPA

Last Updated on Monday, 18 December 2023, 21:35 by Writer

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has recommended that government buys more weapons for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and encourage Guyanese of all races to join that disciplined service, in the wake of uncertainty about Venezuelan aggression over its claim to the Essequibo Region.

“WPA supports a weaponizing of the army to meet the current military challenges. This must be part of an overall strategy that clearly defines the role of the armed forces in non-partisan terms,” that party said.

Senior military sources recently told Demerara Waves Online News that the GDF’s Korean-made medium range weapons are mostly rusty and unserviceable. Notably, the GDF does not have military grade aircraft or vessels, but has recently bought a custom-built offshore patrol vessel.

During Venezuela’s recent deployment of troops and military vehicles on its side of the border, planned annexation of Essequibo and the declaration of that county as a military zone, Guyana had asked its “strategic partners” to be on standby if the tension had further escalated.

Venezuela’s Maduro had also said he would permit his country’s state oil and mining companies to explore for oil and gas and conduct mining in Essequibo.

Against that backdrop, the WPA said Guyana should have demanded the withdrawal of those threats before Dr. Ali had met with Mr Maduro. “A minimum condition for such a meeting therefore should have been Venezuela’s withdrawal of the decrees enacted in the wake of the referendum and a cessation of all hostilities towards Guyana.

Failure to get Venezuela to agree to these conditions meant that President Ali walked into the proverbial political trap. His declaration that he would not discuss the border controversy was naïve on his part,” the WPA said.

The Argyle Declaration states that Guyana and Venezuela “directly or indirectly will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances, including those consequential to any existing controversies between the two States.”

The Declaration also provides for a conflict resolution mechanism that would include the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), CELAC and the President of Brazil. “Agreed that both States will refrain, whether by words or deeds, from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them. The two States will cooperate to avoid incidents on the ground conducive to tension between them. In the event of such an incident the two States will immediately communicate with one another, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), and the President of Brazil to contain, reverse and prevent its recurrence.”

The WPA also recommended that the government makes every effort to ensure that all groups in society are encouraged to join the defence force.

“While WPA is aware of the political and ethnic sensitivities of this issue, it feels the urgency of the matter requires some degree of flexibility by the political forces.

Further, it is our view that the government must make every effort to ensure that all groups in society are encouraged to join the army. Defense of the country should transcend the ethno-racial divide,” the party said.

Historically, the police, military and paramilitary services have been dominated by Afro-Guyanese, the traditional support-base of the opposition.

Turning its attention to the last week’s talks between President Irfaan Ali and the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro in St Vincent, the WPA said it “remains uncomfortable” and believed that such talks should not have been “first resort.” The WPA added that Venezuela had badly needed those talks and “they should not have been unconditionally rewarded.”

Noting that Venezuela wanted a substitute for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) process, which it unequivocally rejects,

WPA said it also has great difficulty with the Pro-Tempote Chairman, St Vincent and the Gre Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his CARICOM colleagues spearheading the meeting.

“The utterances of some CARICOM leaders on the developments over the last few weeks left no doubt about where they stood. There is no guarantee that these leaders are prepared to take a principled stand in support of Guyana’s just case; their position is driven by their gratitude to Venezuela for its economic aid to their countries. WPA is disgusted by this hustler mentality which has poisoned the region’s elite political culture,” the WPA said. St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua ans Barbuda, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago enjoy cozy relations with Venezuela, but collectively the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) supports Guyana’s position that the ICJ is the mechanism to resolve the controversy over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the land boundary with its western neighbour.

The WPA said it was unsurprised by but not disappointed with the Argyle Declaration, saying in its totality represents an advantage for Venezuela at the expense of Guyana’s interests.

In this regard WPA said it strongly felt that CARICOM’s leadership has sacrificed Guyana’s territorial interests for its own narrow political and economic interests. “This flies in the face of the traditional spirit of Caribbean integration.”

The WPA objected to the use of the word “dispute” in the Argyle Declaration. “From the standpoint of international law, Essequibo is not disputed territory. Further, Guyana has never in word or deed threatened Venezuela on this matter. Rather it is Venezuela which has since 1966 been hostile to Guyana.”

Further, the WPA pointed our that the insertion of the Geneva Agreement as a central clause in the declaration while omitting the ICJ process “represents a coup in favor of Venezuela.”

“Although the Geneva Agreement provides a forum for dialogue, it was never intended to determine the validity of the 1899 Arbitration Award. This historic position by Guyana has not been endorsed by the Argyle Declaration—a failure that in effect amounts to an endorsement of Venezuela’s official position,” the WPA added.

Thr WPA said while it accepts that Venezuela’s agreement to cease hostilities towards Guyana could provide some space and time for this country to rally more support for its cause, the price it has paid is too high.

“It is clear that Maduro has something to take back to his supporters while the Guyana government came out of the meeting without any tangible gains. This lopsided outcome hurts Guyana’s morale and could be detrimental to its case in the medium to long term.

The WPA warned that Venezuela’s threat to Guyana is not just military in decision to pass a budget for Essequibo and to arrogate unto itself the right to authorise investments in the territory should not be underestimated.

That party also reiterated that at minimum there should be an All-Party Forum which should take full advantage of all the technical and professional expertise at Guyana’s disposal.