Welcome to Guyana, President Chavez
Guyana Chronicle
February 19, 2004
HIS Excellency Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias is coming to Guyana today on a State visit Guyanese see as being of profound importance to relations between Guyana and Venezuela.
As a neighboring country with which they've had a long-standing border dispute, Venezuela has often been seen by Guyanese as a "big brother" seeking to annex a large part of its sibling's landscape. Interestingly, however, Guyanese attribute Caracas's claim only to colonial wrangling.
And at least one account, this by the U.S. Library of Congress, affirms that view. "When Britain gained formal control over what is now Guyana in 1814, it also became involved in one of Latin America's most persistent border disputes. At the London Convention of 1814, the Dutch surrendered the United Colony of Demerara and Essequibo and Berbice to the British.
"Although Spain still claimed the region, the Spanish did not contest the treaty because they were preoccupied with their own colonies' struggles for independence. In 1835 the British government asked German explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk to map British Guiana and mark its boundaries. As ordered by the British authorities, Schomburgk began British Guiana's western boundary with Venezuela at the mouth of the Orinoco River.
"A map of the British colony was published in 1840. Venezuela protested, claiming the entire area west of the Essequibo River. Negotiations between Britain and Venezuela over the boundary began, but the two nations could reach no compromise. In 1850 both agreed not to occupy the disputed zone."
Even without knowing much of the history of the dispute, Guyanese never see Venezuela as a hostile neighbor.
In fact, in the era of 'guy lines,' when restrictions on imports by the Burnham administration sent Guyanese scurrying abroad on a survival run, Venezuela provided them with a cheap, sustained source of commodity supplies.
Today, that isn't necessary. Yet, many of those Guyanese who risked their lives and well-being smuggling commodities to feed their families and then to eke out a livelihood have made Venezuela their permanent homes.
Others, claiming what they call dual citizenship, shuffle back and forth across the Guyana/Venezuela border. And all this has been possible only because the Venezuelan people with whom the Guyanese regularly made contact accepted and encouraged their compatriots to welcome them with open arms.
Happily, relations between Guyana and Venezuela are also very cordial at the macro level. And the better for it, because Guyana shares as many similarities with Venezuela as differences abound between them.
But development exacts a big price. Though its image isn't tarnished by ethnic divisions - the Venezuelan people comprise a combination of European, indigenous, and African heritages with about 85 percent of the population living in urban areas in the northern portion of the country - the Chavez administration is nonetheless facing unrelenting pressure from the country's opposition to step down.
So is the Jagdeo administration from opposition forces here.
In their discussions later today, President Jagdeo and President Chavez should therefore be able to inspire each other on ways to advance the mandate of their people against those odds.
It is our hope that by the end of his state visit here, President Chavez will have affirmed his conviction that relations with Guyana can only get better. And that, as the PNC/R pointed out in its statement welcoming the Venezuelan Leader, steps will be taken allowing Guyanese to begin accelerating the economic development of all of Essequibo.
Welcome to Guyana, President Chavez.