Developmental partners will not stand aside and watch Venezuela take advantage of Guyana – President Ali

Nov 20, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – President Mohamed Ali on Saturday assured at a press conference that Guyana’s developmental partners will not stand aside and watch Venezuela take advantage of the country if it takes an aggressive military approach to falsely claim the county of Essequibo.

Venezuelan President, Nicholas Maduro

“…We are assured that Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty will not see our development partners standing aside and allowing anyone taking advantage of us,” Ali said.
The president was at the time responding to question on whether Guyana will be seeking military support from the United States or any of its strategic partners in countering any Venezuelan military aggression.

Ali said that he does not believe that Venezuela will act in any “reckless manner” but if it does, Guyana has already engaged its strategic partners.
“We have engaged the Chief of Staff, (Brigadier Omar Khan) and the senior command are continuously engaged with partners across the region,” added Ali, while assuring that none of the developmental partners will stand aside and allow Venezuela to take advantage of Guyana.

Apart from CARICOM, the United States of America and China are the largest investors in Guyana’s oil operations.
Guyana’s oil and other natural resources are key, not only to the development of the country but development of these two major superpowers.

One of America’s largest oil companies, ExxonMobil is currently operating in Guyana and is the largest shareholder in the lucrative offshore Stabroek oil block. HESS another American company, and the Chinese owned CNOOC, are Exxon’s investment partners in the block, benefiting from a lopsided contract that has been criticized as being more favourable to the oil companies than Guyana.

A Chinese company, Zijin, owns Aurora Gold Mines, a large scale operation located along the, Cuyuni River, Region Seven. Bosai, another Chinese company, has invested in a bauxite mine in Linden, Region Ten and a manganese mine in Matthews Ridge, North West District, Region One.

Apart from heavily investing in the country’s natural resources, the China Exim Bank has lent Guyana a number of loans for a significant amount of infrastructural projects across the country, including roads and a US$160M and counting, Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project.

Guyana has also approached the United States for a loan to fund part of its Gas-to-Energy project, an initiative that the government claims will reduce the electricity cost in Guyana and end black-outs and in turn boost development in the country.

India is another strategic partner that has been lending Guyana money to develop the country.
President Ali is now hoping that these and other strategic partners, will not stand aside and allow Venezuela to take advantage of Guyana if it takes an aggressive approach to falsely claim the Essequibo region.

• CARICOM, China, Guyana’s developmental partners, Guyana/Venezuela border controversy, USA