Dear Editor,
Given the recent military attacks launched on our Guyana Defence Force ranks by the Venezuelan Army this poses the question of preparedness and readiness as the South American territory is planning to host an election on May 25, 2025 to illegally claim our Essequibo.
If one is to analyse the recent antagonism, by the Venezuelan government it is evident that this country is hell-bent on claiming a territory which doesn’t belong to them by all means necessary.
Despite pledges from Foreign Ministers and the respective governments of Canada, France, Germany, India, United Kingdom & the United States of America, to assist Guyana in the areas of Defence and Security in event of escalated tensions /attacks on the country by Venezuela, it’s important to note countries such as China and Syria have not indicated any support and has never condemned the repeated attempts by the Maduro regime to cause trepidation.
Guyana shares strong bilateral relationships with the People’s Republic of China and the country back in April has called for there to be friendly negotiations between the Land of many waters and Venezuela to possibly resolve this decades old controversy. The state has recently assailed Charge D’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Huang Rui, for making such pronouncements and recommendations.
Given the known bilateral relationships between Guyana and China which initiated on June 27, 1972 it’s important to question the indebtedness of the Asian counterpart since it at no juncture has condemned the incessant violations of International Law by the Venezuelan government. Notably, China, Syria, Russia, Iran, Turkey , Bolivia, and Cuba are staunch allies of Venezuela.
Guyana has strong bilateral relationships with the government of Cuba who has been glaringly silent.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his recent visit to Guyana expressed displeasure at the Chinese government’s dominance in infrastructure, noting that countries must not be solely reliant on China to build ships and other materials. Rubio added that he wants to ensure the U.S. is providing other options to “bad work by the Chinese that never finishes on time.”
Also during his visit in Suriname, The US Secretary of State bemoaned the substandard work done by Chinese on roads in Guyana. According to an article dated March 29, 2025 by Stabroek News, he (Rubio) was referring to The Heroes Highway which links George-town to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
“In a lot of these countries, the Chinese companies go and do a terrible job, not a bad job—a terrible job,” Rubio said. “I just came from Guyana, where we had to drive on a road the Chinese built. We almost all had concussions because the road was so bad”, the newspaper reported, the US Secretary of State as saying.
He went on to state that the quality of work was unacceptable and that if such construction had taken place in the United States, “someone would sue for a lot of money.” “They were better off with a dirt road than the road we were just on,” Rubio added. “It’s not the fault of the current administration. That road was built before, but they did a terrible job.”
However Former Public Works Minister and opposition Member of Parliament David Patterson clarified that the project Rubio was referring to i.e. the Heroes Highway, which was not built by the Chinese, but by local contractors.
Contextually, given the ongoing reciprocal tariffs debacle and rancour, between the US and China governments, the Trump Administration wants the Guyanese government to cut ties with the Asian counterpart, including Cuba.
Rubio’s utterances are subtle and creates a clear indication that Guyana should cut ties with China, Cuba and other country that is an enemy of the US.
The traceable silence from China and all those who professed to be allies of Guyana raises the question of trustworthiness in the midst of adversity. For only the Government of Guyana can determine who their friends and foes are , and given the conspicuous silence from those quasi allies aforementioned the writing is on the wall should have been read by now.
Venezuela must and should not be taken for granted and at this juncture we genuinely need all hands on deck to confront the acts of totalitarianism and bullyism which has been displayed by the Maduro regime.
For my question still stands “Does Guyana truly have allies in this extant border controversy with Venezuela ?” To this end I wish to reference a quote from Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ” In prosperity our friends knows us, in adversity we know our friends”.
Yours truly,
Antonio Dey