Carl Greenidge, Guyana’s Agent in the 1899 Arbitral Award case before the International Court of Justice, says he would be “very surprised if Venezuela could feel that it has any justification for attacking” Guyana in response to U.S. anti-drug operations and military build-up near Venezuela’s borders.
Speaking with OilNOW in an exclusive interview on September 16, Greenidge said, “Venezuela, which knows the U.S. military capacity…wouldn’t be so brazen as to seek to retaliate directly against the United States.” Instead, he said, the comments from Venezuela’s leadership seem to suggest that they are looking for an excuse to attack militarily weaker U.S. allies. He likened this to schoolyard bully tactics – turning on an ally of a strong opponent.
The U.S. has escalated anti-drug operations in the Caribbean in recent months, including deadly strikes against traffickers allegedly linked to Venezuela. Greenidge dismissed suggestions that Venezuela might justify military action against Guyana solely on the basis of its engagement with the U.S. during this period. “It is ridiculous to be speaking of Guyana, for example, provoking Venezuela simply by inviting U.S. officials to visit…or agreeing to aircraft flying over Georgetown or anywhere else in Guyana.”
Ali: Fighting transnational crime vital, protecting sovereignty is Guyana’s business | OilNOW
“For them to be…saying, once they see an American official or a vessel from a state Venezuela does not approve [of], visiting Guyana, they will take military action against Guyana would be patently absurd,” he added.
He stated that Guyana, as an independent state, has the right to welcome whoever it wishes.
“It is being suggested, in essence, that Guyana will need to ensure that Caracas is happy with any guests before Guyana can invite them…this is an absurdity. No other independent state is subject to such constraints, and no part of Guyana has ever been governed by Venezuela. So, to suggest that Guyana has no right to allow airplanes to fly over its territory cannot be a serious suggestion,” Greenidge shared.
He stressed that international law protects Guyana’s sovereignty. “The rights enjoyed by each sovereign state cannot be withdrawn because Venezuela finds them inconvenient,” he stated.
