THE EDITOR: Let me preface my letter with my belief that, given the comparative size of the large country of Guyana (83,000 square miles
compared with 1,981 square miles for Trinidad) with the even larger country Venezuela (353,841 square miles), and the length of time it has been under Guyana control, but contested by Venezuela, the Essequibo region (62,000 square miles) should remain with Guyana.

However, is the almost 100 per cent support by the people of the English-speaking Caribbean and the unequivocal support of Caricom for Guyana’s position a reflection of us still having the mentality of a colonist?

We have all heard of the Paris Arbitral Award of 1899, which granted the Essequibo region to British Guiana (now Guyana). But how many of us have heard of, or know of the Mallet-Prevost memorandum which alleged that the award resulted from the pressure by the president of the tribunal and a political deal between Russia and Britain?

Or the Geneva Agreement (1966) signed by the British and Venezuela just before Guyana gained independence and which outlined the steps to be taken to resolve the dispute (that it should be resolved within four years), given Venezuela’s contention to the UN in 1962 that the 1899 declaration was null and void?

Or the Port of Spain Protocol (1970) which was signed at the end of the agreed four years of the Geneva Agreement and which essentially froze parts of the agreement for 12 years. And the fact that 12 years later, in 1982, Venezuela refused to ratify an extension of the Port of Spain Protocol, bringing the original 1966 agreement back into effect?

It is interesting that Britain is now saying that it will have no involvement whatsoever in resolving this conflict, while what is going on today is a direct result of the land grab by European countries (France, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain) in South America all those years ago (as are many conflicts in Africa today related to similar land grabs – but add Italy, Germany, Belgium).

As we condemn Venezuela’s threat to invade and forcibly take over the Essequibo region of Guyana, what are our thoughts on Britain occupying and controlling the northern part of the island known as Ireland, and incorporating it into the United Kingdom of Great Britain?

J SMITH

Curepe