Not a blade of grass

GUYANA AGAIN REJECTED VENEZUEA’S SPURIOUS BORDER CLAIMS when a
team headed by President Irfaan Ali met recently with Mr. Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of
the Organization of American States (OAS).
Guyana’s western neighbour again raised its specious century’s old false claim to some 75
percent of this country’s 216,000 Km 2 territory when President Hugo Chavez and that country’s
opposition leader hammered out a deal.
Guyana’s leader, President Ali described the accord then as “an overt threat to the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Guyana,” emphasising this south American republic refused to be
“used as an altar of sacrifice for settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences.”
In the meeting which the OAS head, held at the Office of the Permanent Mission to Guyana in
New York, Ali reminded Almagro that since this country does not promote the use of violence or
threats to settle disputes, citizens look towards the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the
rule of law for redress.
In a 1966 Agreement signed in Geneva, both countries agreed that the UN will mediate if the
countries could not settle the matter on their own. President Ali and the Secretary-General also
discussed technical support to advance the country’s development agenda.
President Ali also raised the thorny issue of strengthening democracy in Guyana through the so-
far-illusive electoral reform.
Accompanying Dr Ali were Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo; Ambassador and
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and
Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robert Persaud.