Showing confidence on Beal and `arms'
Editorial
THE CONFIDENCE with which the Guyana Government is handling the affairs of this nation became more evident this past week on two important foreign policy issues. One relates to Guyana-Venezuela relations and specifically on the question of the establishment of a commercial satellite launch project in the Essequibo region by Beal Aerospace. The other has to do with assurances to hemispheric neighbours on Guyana being allegedly used as a transshipment route for arms to Colombian rebels. First came the disclosure by President Bharrat Jagdeo on the final day of the Summit of South American Presidents in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, that he had presented to the President of Venezuela, Hugh Chavez, a copy of the agreement Guyana has signed with the Beal corporation. It was done to support the assurances previously given that Venezuela had nothing to fear about the project. Hostile statements from Caracas about the project having a potential military component that could pose a problem for Venezuela's security were dismissed by Guyana which, in turn, has had to warn of the implications for this country's peaceful economic development by threats of economic aggression. The agreement now in the possession of President Chavez, undoubtedly with the consent also of Beal Aerospace that has reaffirmed its commitment to go ahead with the spaceport project, should be adequate proof - if indeed proof was needed - that the project, to come on stream in 2003, in no way should be confused with a US military base and, consequently, pose a security threat to Venezuela. President Jagdeo, who from all reports seems to have done well for Guyana at the Summit and in particular the personal relations developed in bilateral talks with Chavez and also subsequently with the new President of Suriname, Ronald Venetiaan, has demonstrated confidence in his openness with the Venezuelans on the Beal project.
LUNCHEON'S ASSURANCE Dr Luncheon, showing his own awareness of the vastness of uninhabited areas of Guyana's borders that could make such illegal activities possible, said that the government was prepared to vigorously pursue investigations into the allegations, as expressed by the Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori. He however stressed, and quite rightly so, that Peru provide Guyana with details such as dates and carriers involved in the alleged illegal shipments of arms. Following President Fujimori's claim, there was the statement attributed to General Alberto Cordoso, Chief of Staff for International Security to President Fernando Henrique Cordoso of Brazil that they had information that both Guyana and Suriname were being used to fly weapons through Brazil to Colombia. Without doubting the veracity of the claims from either Peru or Brazil, a very relevant question is why was no prior information, no official notification forwarded to Guyana to seek its cooperation in combating such illegal arms shipments before the matter was publicly raised and with hardly any supporting details. Guyana, with its vast borders with three South American neighbours, Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, has a vested interest in cooperating fully to stamp out any illegal activity involving not just arms but also the security-threatening narco-trafficking menace. The sooner, therefore, there is a sharing of relevant information with both Guyana and Suriname by Peru and Brazil, the better it would be for practical forms of cooperation to take shape in dealing with the alleged illegal arms shipment, from whatever source, to terrorists, rebels or drug lords.
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