Latest update December 12th, 2024 1:00 AM
WHY JAIL/DEPORT VENEZUELANS?
Venezuela is in its worst political and economic crisis in recent history that has led to shortages of basic goods and human amenities. Many poor Venezuelans are starving because they have no food and no money. 
Some are dying because most medications are no longer available and many doctors have fled the country. Venezuela’s crippling economy means that eating meat is a luxury for many, but the Maduro government has told Venezuelans that the solution to the crisis is to breed and eat rabbits.
The Maduro government has approved a plan known as the ‘rabbit plan’ because rabbits breed by the dozens. It claimed that rabbit is an alternative to other sources of meat. The plan seems to be part of his government’s offensive for Venezuela’s worsening economic crisis, amid shortages of food and medicine. A survey conducted mid-last year showed nearly 75 percent of the population, mostly the poor have lost an average of 19 pounds in weight due to lack of proper nutrition because of the crisis.
Venezuelans were upset at Maduro’s “rabbit plan” which means that Venezuelans would have to abandon their love of rabbits which should not be considered a pet, but five pounds of meat with high protein and no cholesterol. The “rabbit plan” sparked an angry response from opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who blamed the Maduro government for the economic crisis and the shortage of food in the country.
Today, Venezuela’s currency is worthless. It cost 3,000 bolivars to buy US$1. Inflation is at 1,500 percent, the highest anywhere in the world and creditors are not being paid. Neighbouring countries. including Brazil and Argentina, have issued stern condemnations of President Maduro’s actions.
How did Venezuela, once seen as a model for left-wing movements, crumble under its own weight? The answer lies in President Maduro’s lust for power. His push to rewrite the constitution amid an escalating political crisis has led to a stern warning from the Trump administration which imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials.
It seems that the crisis in Venezuela will not end anytime soon as massive demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and the security forces continue. Many believe that the crisis could adversely affect us in Guyana. As Guyana grapples with its own problems, it must keep a sharp eye on Venezuela which seems to be the proverbial train wreck in slow motion.
The Granger government should not take the situation in Venezuela for granted. It should develop a contingency plan to deal with any possible worst-case scenarios that could emerge from a flood of Venezuelan refugees into the country and the spillover of criminality from the economic and political meltdown in Venezuela.
The fact that Venezuelans are in a desperate situation and in dire need for food, they will do almost anything to survive, including robbery and the trafficking of illegal guns, drugs and people.
That said, we should welcome those Venezuelans coming to Guyana for legitimate business such as shopping for food. We should also offer temporary refugee status to those who are in the country illegally because of the crisis in Venezuela. It would be laudable for the government to do so because in an earlier period, many Guyanese have found themselves in the same situation and fled Guyana. Many were granted refugee status in the United States and Canada.
This has not been the case in Guyana. Our government has and continues to prosecute and deport desperate Venezuelans coming to Guyana for food and work. Many were jailed because they could not and cannot afford to pay the fines for illegally entering the country.
This week, two more Venezuelans were charged and fined $30,000 each for entering Guyana illegally. We should not be so cruel and inhumane to them. Those of us who care about human rights should intervene and help our less fortunate neighbours. Since we have a crisis on our doorstep; we must heed the adage, “When your neighbour’s house is on fire, carry water to your own.”
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