“How are you? ¿How are you? ¿Fine, ahh?”, he greeted proudly Nicolas Maduro to the Guyanese president, Irfan Ali, looking unperturbed, as they shook hands. This is how it began in the Caribbean Kingstown the expected face to face (face fo face, in Guyanese version) between the opposing leaders, under the auspices of international organizations and countries concerned about the escalation of war caused by the “annexation” (in word, not in fact, even Maduro has ordered the law to be kept in suspension) of the Essequibo, territory in dispute between Venezuela y Guyana managed from Georgetown.
In any mini-summit every detail counts, and there was one that Maduro did not notice at first. Irfaan Ali, insulted and vilified to the point of exhaustion in the Chavista propaganda media, carried on his wrist a bracelet with the map of Guyana, which includes Essequibo. Nothing to do with the new map of Venezuela imposed by the revolution, in which the disputed territory appears as if it were already the 24 state (region) of the republic. That same map accompanied the large revolutionary delegation in Kingstown, even the military planes carried legends such as the so often repeated these days “Essequibo is ours.”
“Guyana is not the aggressor, Guyana does not seek war, but reserves the right to work with its partners (USA) to defend their rights,” its president insisted in the first meeting with the Caricom, prior to face to face with Maduro.
Hours later, the first objective of the mediators and sponsors had been achieved: confirmed truce, although without further advance in each one’s positions. “A great step for the territorial resolution, a successful bilateral meeting,” the Bolivarian government sold after leaving the table, despite the fact that Irfaan Ali made it clear in the various meetings that his objective is not to give in to Venezuelan pressure. Given the impetus shown by Maduro’s generals, in their statements, the Guyana government decided to strengthen its ties with its main energy partner, the United States: Southern Command planes flew over Essequibo As soon as it became known that Guyana’s few armed forces were on maximum alert.
“I made it very clear that Guyana has every right to exercise its sovereignty within its territorial space and facilitate any investment, partnership, trade and cooperation, in addition to the granting of any license or concession from our territorial space,” confirmed Irfaan Alí, in reference at oil exploitations on the Atlantic coast.