The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) notes a statement from the President of Venezuela, Nicholas Maduro, that he has accepted a proposal from the President of Brazil and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for him to engage in a high level meeting with Guyana, presumably with President Irfaan Ali.

CGID beleives that the President of Guyana should not meet with the bellicose President of Venezuela at this time while the border matter is subjudice at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Unless Venezuela fully, unconditionally and unequivocally renounces it’s baseless claim to Essequibo and abjures it bellicosity, any such meeting before the ICJ renders its judgment on the validity of the 1899 Arbitration Award, is incompatible with Guyana’s national interests and would be seen as an attempted infringement on Guyana’s right to a final and permanent juridical resolution of Venezuela’s baseless claim to Essequibo.

Meeting with a bully to avoid him bullying you is appeasement. Guyana must never appease Venezuela. Essequibo is Guyana’s territory, Period!. This is non-negotiable.

CGID is also concerned that the Jagdeo-Ali regime is pursuing this matter unilaterally without consultation with the opposition and other national stake holders in the polity. This is dangerous!

Such an approach raises fundamental questions regarding whether President Ali is indeed pursuing this matter with the collective national interest as a primary, foremost consideration!