The following is an opinion editorial by Shikema Dey, Research and Content Developer at OilNOW, and a seasoned Journalist in the Oil and Gas Industry
Guyana cannot be bullied. We do not take well to demands, particularly from leaders who have a contentious reputation. If Nicolás Maduro thinks using extreme tactics is the way to score another face-to-face meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, he has got another think coming.
March began with a Venezuelan navy vessel invading Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The ship sailed past a few of ExxonMobil’s oil assets in the Stabroek Block. By radio, it sent a message to the Prosperity floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) that was operating in “disputed international waters”. Without a doubt, the navy ship invaded Guyanese territory.
The move was brazen. And it occurred just weeks after Guyanese soldiers were attacked by alleged Venezuelan ‘sindicato’ gang members. It was not that surprising. Maduro is a known bully and has historically shown no respect for agreements, even those under international law. He should be keeping the peace with Guyana while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hammers out the border controversy case. The reason being, that he willingly signed the Argyle agreement with President Ali, vowing to, among other things, never threaten or use force against each other, regardless of any disputes. There’s also an ICJ preliminary order in place, which mandates Venezuela refrain from actions that would compromise Guyana’s administration and control of the Essequibo territory. Maduro has been doing anything but.
Guyana has consistently chosen the path of diplomacy. Amidst the controversy, it continues to enjoy strong support from its allies in the Caribbean and overseas: the Group of Seven (G7), the U.S., CARICOM, the OAS, France, the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and more.
Maduro’s posture has been aggressive throughout the process, yet he labels Guyana the aggressor. Maduro blamed Guyana for stoking the fire that led to the recent incursion. Even a cursory review of the facts raises the question ‘What exactly did Guyana do’. One can speculate it was the fact that the Trump administration cut the Chevron deal off at the knees. One can further speculate that he wanted to show the U.S. that he too could disrupt their interests by attempting to ‘bully’ one of its largest oil companies. Thereby allegedly sending a strong message. His recent actions, however, closely mirror those employed by one of his closest allies, Vladimir Putin. A point noted by international analysts. Most recently Maduro went as far as labeling President Ali the “Caribbean Zelensky”. Then clearly, he must be ‘Putin’.
Ludicrous among all of Maduro’s pronouncements, is his reported desire to meet with President Ali to show him how he is “violating international law”. While a clear process exists for any such meeting to take place – through the Argyle Interlocutor, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves – given Maduro’s penchant for disregarding diplomatic channels, it comes as no surprise that such an approach was not pursued.
While Maduro continues to posture on the world stage, President Ali isn’t budging. He has stated he has no intentions of speaking to the Venezuelan leader. A clear indication that Guyana does not give in to bullies. He recently told Stabroek News, “Let us just reflect a bit on all the ranting that comes out [of] Venezuela, all the statements that come out of Venezuela. They attack me personally and they attack the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. It is Venezuela that announced a process of electing a governor for a territory that does not belong to them; a territory that forms part of our sovereignty. There again, is another example of them breaching the Argyle Agreement. It is Venezuela that entered our waters, it is Venezuela that brought a naval ship into our waters, and it is Venezuelans that shot at our soldiers.”
As both countries maintain their positions, PM Gonsalves believes another meeting is necessary to prevent tensions from escalating further. Whether such a meeting will take place, is anyone’s guess. But what is clear, is that Guyana stands immovably on the side of diplomacy when handling this controversy. And Maduro, well, Maduro will continue to do what Maduro does, be a bully.
