GUYANA'S TROJAN HORSE
It appears as though the current Guyanese politicians are quite unfamiliar with the Trojan Horse first mentioned in the Odyssey. Say what you like, but there is no merit in having a poorly read and thus an under educated generation. Let me indicate that I am speaking purely from a lay person's perspective, as I do not pretend to be a political analyst/scientist or else. Somehow, I do not think a couple years of elective poli sci courses would qualify me to make such a claim.
However, all one has to do is to think and consider well established and commonly known facts. It is clear that irrespective of diplomacy, World Court hearings in The Hague etc. Venezuela is hell bent on staking its claim on Essequibo. The oil find makes it even more of a coveted prize.
The political and economic upheaval in Venezuela, provides the perfect storm if you will, for a sustained covert and insidious infiltration. While, the PPP Government rather short-sightedly sees the wholesale re-settlement of Venezuelans, as a means of increasing its votes come elections. However, the government just may have bitten off more than it has bargained for. The motive of the government, was made pellucid, earlier this week by VP and party General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo's statement. He categorically said that migrants from Venezuela who are eligible should be allowed to vote. It should be noted that many Venezuelans have already been issued Guyanese identification cards. Incidentally, being in receipt of same, and being registered allows one to vote.
It has long been established that we are an underpopulated country. On the other hand, Venezuela has 28 million people. Even if a small fraction of that number crosses our border, it will still be significant enough to affect the local population. Yes, I've heard all the humanitarian arguments. The truth is we have own problems. A large percentage of Guyanese currently live below the poverty line. There is not enough employment for locals. As previously mentioned elsewhere, we neither have the requisite infrastructure, nor the social services to deal with a large influx of refugees. Schools are already over crowded. How many bilingual teachers do we have at all levels to teach the refugee children? What about housing? Hospital capacity? To this day, GPHell as it referred, cannot provide a reliable source of electricity for the existing population. How is its notoriously unreliable system going to bear the additional burden? Not to mention the Guyana Water Authority. Surely, someone in the government who is capable of thinking outside of party rhetoric, must have considered the foregoing.
That aside, one cannot and must not lose sight of the harsh reality that Guyanese going to Venezuela in the 80s and 90s were solely economic refugees. We did not have a claim on any part of that country's territory, contrary to Venezuela' s position. Therefore, by no stretch can the two be equated. On the other hand, Venezuela's maps include Essequibo as the disputed territory. Ergo, from birth its citizens are imbued with the belief that Essequibo is their own. Last September, the Venezuelan National Assembly decided to hold a consultative referendum on the status of the Essequibo region, this December. Notably question five, proposes the creation of the Venezuelan State of Guyana Essequibo. In line with this, the referendum seeks to allow for an accelerated plan to give Venezuelan citizenship and identity cards to the Guyanese population there.
What is even more concerning are reports that the Venezuelan military has joined the political campaign in favour of the referendum. An airstrip was recently built in an area close to the disputed territory with the view of contributing to the "integral development of Guayana Esequiba." (EFE)
Yet, daily Venezuelans are coming over in large numbers. What, if any, checks are being done to ensure that they are genuine refugees? How is the immigration department processing these refugees? What type of background checks are being done to safeguard against a criminal element entering Guyana? Also, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that military agents etc. are among them.
Is the man in the street not seeing the implications of all that is taking place? Have we become so apathetic and disengaged as citizens that no one is demanding answers from the government?
Even so, fast forward 15-20 years, the demographic of the Guyanese population will obviously change. Every facet, including politics will be infiltrated by a people in whom it has been ingrained that Essequibo is theirs. One has to look no further than our current voting patterns as an example. It remains clearly deliniated by race. So guided by that, does anyone truly believe that Venezuelans even though resident in Guyana, will suddenly change their point of view with regard to Essequibo? They will then be a force to reckon with internally, as opposed to just externally.
This leads us back to the tale of the Trojan Horse. The point being, that the Greek soldiers realised that the on-going battles and ten-year siege failed to get them any further along in their objective to conquer the city of Troy. So, they plotted and conquered Troy from within. The rest as they say, is history. It would do us well to learn lessons from the past; bearing in mind that there truly is nothing new under the sun.
Comments