Foreign Ministry increasing awareness about Venezuela’s threat

Feb 22, 2016 News

Months after Venezuela renewed its claim to Guyana’s territory the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commenced a sensitization campaign to keep the Guyanese public abreast on matters relating to the threat to the country’s territorial integrity.
The recently intensified campaign was highlighted when Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed the National Assembly during the 2016 Budget debates.
He said that a booklet entitled “What you need to know about the definitive nature of the Guyana/Venezuela Boundary” was published in an effort to further sensitize the Guyanese populace.
Also, Greenidge told the House of trips made to interior locations to inform persons living closer to the Venezuela border.
Last year, Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro issued a decree that claims a huge part of Guyana. The decree also threatened military force to bend Guyana into submission.
At present, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is looking at the matter with an aim to settle the territorial controversy once and for all.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge

In the meantime, Greenidge said that Guyana’s relations with Brazil remain excellent and the Ministry intends to continue to pursue a number of key initiatives that will further cement those relations.
He added that during the visit by President David Granger to Brasilia last year, for the MERCOSUR Summit, a bilateral meeting was held between the leaders of the two countries.
Greenidge said that the President of Brazil gave the assurance of Brazil’s full backing on efforts for a peaceful resolution on the Venezuela controversy. “The Government of Brazil is in the process of putting in place preliminary arrangements for major infrastructure projects with Guyana, and my Ministry is now well poised to engage our Brazilian partners to bring many of these to fruition 2016.”
Also, Greenidge told the House that as part of that effort, Guyana and Brazil are in the final stages of arrangements for the visit of Chancellor Mauro Viera, his Brazilian counterpart.
A few weeks ago, President Granger admitted that there is more that his administration can do to educate the masses about the threat that faces Guyana and the danger that lurks.
“We are sure that we are on the right side and we will continue to inform, educate and disseminate information to the population on these claims. More can be done; more can always be done. We need to get booklets into the schools,” said Granger.
The President said that Minister Greenidge and Vice President and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sydney Allicock, had visited Kaikan, which is situated near the border between Guyana and Venezuela.
Granger said that his two Ministers visited the community to assure residents there that Guyana is capable of protecting them from Venezuelan aggression.