-President Granger at Bara
“Venezuela has been claiming more than half of our country; the BarimaWaini, the Cuyuni-Mazaruni and the Rupununi regions, but I want you to know that we are not surrendering one centimetre of our territory; not a blade of grass. We are here to work with your village, with your region, with your Toshao, with your residents, whether they are Caribs, or Warraus or Arawaks or Arecunas to make sure Guyana is safe. Just as we inherited Guyana from our fore-parents we want to pass it on to our children,” President Granger said yesterday to the community of Baramita.
Guyana’s Head of State was at the time speaking to the residents at the Baramita Primary School during a visit to the community located in BarimaWaini, Region One, according to a press release from the Ministry of the Presidency (MoP). He assured the hinterland residents that his administration is doing everything in its power to ensure the security of their community and the other frontline communities along the 800 kilometre western border against threats to Guyana’s territorial integrity, as a result of claims to the nation’s territory by neighbouring Venezuela.
Guyana is only interested in a peaceful resolution to the conflict, President Granger told residents, as he related the decision by the United Nations’ Secretary General, António Guterres’ to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the MoP release stated. He expressed confidence that the matter will be settled in Guyana’s favour and assured the villagers, “you will be able to pass on this land to your children and grandchildren.”
According to the ministry’s release, the unstable situation in Venezuela has presented some threats to Guyanese, who live in the bordering communities with that country. It noted that Baramita is vulnerable to illegal migration, the spread of disease, transnational crime and attacks from what is known as the Venezuelan Sindicato gang. President Granger said that Government will work with the Regional Administration, the Toshao and the village councillors, as well as the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to sure up security mechanisms.
“We believe that Baramita is one of the frontline villages. When I say frontline, I mean that you are our eyes and ears to tell the rest of Guyana when there’s danger…,” the Head of State