Warns that recent opposition statements could jeopardize national security and well-being.
Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), has expressed his disapproval of the PNC-led APNU+AFC opposition’s recent remarks concerning the Guyana/Venezuela border issue, emphasizing the potential implications for national security and the country’s well-being.
During his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo pointed out the “dangerous ideas” entertained during the opposition’s recent press conference and criticized the AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan for voicing support for these notions.
“They entertained and muddled the notion that we were somehow going to relinquish control of our exclusive economic zone or that we had agreed to share it with Venezuela. They confused this with my statements regarding what is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” Dr. Jagdeo clarified. “I want to make it abundantly clear that at no point in our history has any government deviated from our stance that the final resolution of our borders with Venezuela is based on the arbitration of 1899 and the demarcation of our boundaries in 1905.”
Dr. Jagdeo cautioned that such posturing is dangerous because it touches upon a sensitive issue that could be easily misinterpreted by those unfamiliar with the Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and his party’s tactics.
He unequivocally stated, “Whether in government or out of it, the People’s Progressive Party has maintained a consistent national consensus that our borders are sacrosanct, established, and unalterable, and Venezuela’s territorial claims are baseless.”
Dr. Jagdeo criticized the opposition’s press conference, characterizing it as rife with “half-truths, fabrications, conjecture, and lies.” He also noted that the opposition figures involved lacked the necessary experience in national security discussions and in preserving the nation’s integrity.
He highlighted the dangers of Ramjattan distorting statements and linking them to matters before the ICJ, implying a different stance between Guyana’s political parties and a former President.
Dr. Jagdeo stressed the need for a united front in addressing this long-standing issue and reprimanded the opposition for indulging in opportunistic politics at the expense of national solidarity. In a recent statement, the Government of Guyana affirmed its vigilance and reported increased military activities by Venezuela along its border to CARICOM Heads and international partners.
Special reporter, Georgetown, Guyana