A psycho-social view of the Guyana/Venezuela border dispute: Perspective from the Diaspora

(This is one of a series of weekly columns from Guyanese in the diaspora and others with an interest in issues related to Guyana and the Caribbean)

Lear Matthews is Professor Emeritus and former Lecturer at University of Guyana. He is author of “English Speaking Caribbean Immigrants: Transnational Identities” and Co-creator of the video “Dis Time Nah Lang Time”. He has written extensively on the Caribbean Diaspora. His article on “Gyaff: Implications for the Guyanese Diaspora” captures the soul of Guyanese communicative style that brings back joyful memories..

“The potential riches of oil continue to ripple into so “many conflicts”

(Anonymous)

Introduction

The impact of the threat of territorial occupation on the nation’s well-being has not been seriously addressed in discussions of possible solutions. This article highlights the psycho-social factors such as fear, anxiety, uncertainty, trust and depth of loyalty as Guyana experiences both familiar and new existential realities. The “many conflicts” referred to in the above opening quote must include the impact on psychological and interpersonal relations as the country enters an unprecedented phase of development in the shadows of territorial intimidation. The issues facing the nation including Venezuelan sabre rattling, the lack of coherent information from Guyanese officials and shaky confidence in institutions, bring about intense symptoms including panic, disappointment and angst. There is a correlation between a nation’s mental health and economic development as well as the capacity of the populace to fulfill its civic duty, especially in times of perceived or actual crisis.

The Problem at Hand

As Venezuela “resurrects its long-festering claim of more than half of Guyana”, the military David and Goliath scenario exacerbates fear and possible depression. In order to make slogans such as singer-composer Dave Martin’s “not a blade ah grass, not waan curass” meaningful, it is essential to corral the awareness, confidence and preparation of “ordinary citizens”. They too deserve to benefit from calls for territorial integrity. Themes such as “Prepare Rather than Fear Venezuela’s Illegal Claim and Its Possible Effects” adopted as the focus of the University of Guyana-sponsored Webinar Series on Immigration held in December 2023, can be helpful. Hosting that event underlines the role of learning institutions in attempting to help people understand and cope with unconventional social change.

Nonetheless, while promoting such a theme may be well intended, it is only minimally motivating. The realities of threatened land occupation and the capacity to defend territorial sovereignty must be addressed with more conviction and deliberative planning, which consider the total needs of the population. In light of the probable onset of fear and anxiety, consistent attention should be directed at addressing the psychosocial vulnerabilities of all Guyanese, especially those residing in the disputed area. One UG Webinar participant lamented, “I am very worried about our nation”. Another who identified as “living close to the border with Venezuela” said that she is “very scared”, while a third speaker who identified as a college professor warned, “public sentiment is important, but there seems to be a dearth of information available to ordinary people”. In response, one of the panelists, a government representative, encouraged residents to “…go to the Internet for information and guidance” to cope with their concerns. To which one resident retorted: “We gat mosquito net, cyaas net and fish net …but no Internet!” Although such a response seemed melodramatic, that exchange points to a national communication problem which is being ignored or glossed over. It appears as though some aspects of the nation’s vital infrastructure lack the capacity to provide basic, dependable, essential services to hinterland communities and need to be vastly improved. Not only does this hamper the capacity to alert vast segments of the population in times of crisis, but could exacerbate the stress from existing crossborder threats. In this regard, attempts to address such communication problems have raised some concern. In the communications and surveillance sectors, a recently published article by R. Evans Ellis notes that a Chineseowned company, Huasuei “has established a dominant position” in the interior of the country. This is likely to have questionable implications for surveillance of the disputed area.

In addressing such concerns, it is essential to underscore the importance of listening to, and engaging community representatives to understand community norms, practices and needs. Constantly hearing terms such as “elevated risk”, “instability”, “insecurity” and “provocative naval exercises” with reference to the border dispute can be nerve-wrecking to the general population.

The nation’s ability to safeguard the needs and mental health of all residents will be tested as the border crisis looms. How would the status and adjustment of Venezuelans who have settled in Guyana be managed? Is there a State Resettlement Policy to address potential adjustment problems? In this regard, strategic planning is essential in order to safeguard the needs, rights, privileges and mental health of citizens. In order to alleviate tensions and decrease frustrations, citizen preparation is needed: What they should know and expect; how to prepare for eventualities, including communicating with their children; and the ways in which they will be assisted. It is also important for the government to responsibly manage environmental safety with regards to the extraction of fossil fuel and its impact on quality of life. Neglecting to do so would be another assault on a broad swathe of the population.

As the border dispute simmers, it is logical to expect a cogent military defense plan. However, humanitarian concerns, especially for Guyanese in the areas of disputed territory and Venezuelans who have settled there must be addressed. The local communities’ dependency on aviation to access their homes is among the services that will be affected in the event of increased military activity.

It is reasonable to ask three pertinent questions: (1) In light of the anticipated financial benefits from the gas and oil industry, what is the moral and legal obligation of the government to the nation? (2) what are the financial responsibilities of non-governmental institutions, including those which overwhelmingly benefit from the oil industry? (3) to what extent does the Guyanese government monitor the oil projects under foreign control? Such questions must be considered in good faith if the total welfare of all Guyanese is to be prioritized.

The land-claim by Venezuela is viewed by Guyanese as “spurious”, “without merit” and even “sinister”. Of course, without scientific data it will be speculative to draw precise collusions about how people will react to dangers of the border crisis. Nevertheless, segments of the population are likely to cope by flight, fight or surrender. Threats can disrupt activities of daily living, varying from casual worrying to deep concern, but the most vulnerable tend to be those of scarce socio-economic means. Ultimately, the outcome of the border situation can be life-changing. Reactive symptoms will include feelings of helplessness, depression, confusion, planned physical escape or blaming those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the country from harm.

A Guyanese co-owner of a lakeside recreational site in Essequibo reportedly asserted that she would evacuate rather than live under Venezuelan control, stating “…we already made up our minds, if we have to go, we have to go,” ….. we’ll just have to leave everything and go… and run”. This characterizes a normal human response. Guyana as a nation has engaged in a number of tried and tired solutions and recommendations for improvement. At the precipice of this threat we still have the opportunity and will to move toward an wholesome existence.