Brilliant proposal by Irfaan

THE EDITOR: I applaud Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali for his tenacity and desire to sign a co-operating agreement with the US. I think it is a brilliant proposal because Guyana has been morally brutalised by Venezuela for years.

The perception and allegations signalled that Venezuela was the major exporter of drugs and guns to not only TT, but to the US and also neighbouring Surinam.

But that is the least of the worries for Guyana. Guyana has been accused of encroaching on Venezuela’s territory. However, the disputed region was settled in 1899 by the Paris Arbitral Award which favoured Guyana as the legitimate owner of the Essequibo.

But that was like water under the bridge for some time, until Venezuela woke up again to reclaim the rich oil-producing region of the Essequibo.

It would be one of the most strategic and interesting projects if the president of Guyana had included in the agreement to allow the US to set up a US military base in the Essequibo region. I think that would be a permanent solution to the disputed region.

I also think Venezuela has become the bully of the Caribbean. President Nicolás Maduro wants to lay claims on TT by saying that the country once belonged to Venezuela. I don’t think Trinidadians would, in a million years, buy this nonsense.

And if it means a quid pro quo with the US, I think it is better to have America as a friend and keep Maduro at bay permanently. The US military presence would be the frontera that separates and protects Guyana from further expansion and aggression by Venezuela; it would certainly bring peace of mind to the Guyanese people.

Nonetheless, TT has permitted the US to instal a radar at the Tobago airport. It says this is to detect and provide vital information in drug interdiction, like the recent Caroni Swamp $171 million drug bust.

It would be outrageous and ludicrous for anyone to demand the removal of the US radar; the evidence speaks for itself.

JAY RAKHAR

New York