Guyana must integrate the facts of the border controversy into the education system

It is heartening and encouraging to see the national show of unity and resolve regarding the Venezuela territorial controversy. All around the land we are united under the refrain of ‘Essequibo is ours’ and ‘not a blade of grass’. However, we must become accustomed to the idea that the threat is a permanent factor in this nation’s existence going forward. We must be prepared to defend our country by every means available.

So far, except for our pursuit of the matter at the International Court of Justice, it seems to me that we have been going mostly on appeals to loyalty, whether from our own citizens or foreign support. We expect our Caribbean neighbours to support us out of a sense of a common, historical brotherhood, but is this enough?

An important lesson of the present crisis is that we need to integrate the facts of the case into our very education system, starting at the primary school level. Our case is strong. Our people must have a deeper awareness of this existential threat to the nation and stand on a foundation of knowledge of the facts. And we must go further and disseminate this information using the most effective media available to our Caribbean neighbours and around the world.

I have felt compelled to express this view publicly by statements I have heard in the international media, from well-intentioned commentators, that caused me some concern.

One such statement was that the 1899 Tribunal decision ‘sided with’ the British in deciding where to set the border between British Guiana and Venezuela. That statement is misleading and untrue. It is conceivable that the border could have been set as far west as the Orinoco River. The Tribunal exercised its judgment in determining the border, and its decision was accepted by both sides. The Venezuelans made the necessary legislative

changes that recognized the border and participated in the marking of the border in 1905.

It must be stressed that the deliberations of the 1899 Tribunal were not about Essequibo. They were about determining the border, period. For over 50 years, Venezuela and the world recognized and accepted the border. It was only in the 1960s that Venezuela suddenly made an issue of Essequibo.

Every Guyanese, at home and abroad must be exposed to these facts. We must also have a permanent programme to disseminate these facts to our Caribbean neighbours and around the world. I would like to see The University of the West Indies, like UG, mounting seminars and webinars on the issue aimed at reaching the widest Caribbean audience.

And, undoubtedly, it would do no harm for the Venezuelan public to be exposed to this information, also.