“Outsmart, Not Just Outreact”: Opposition Demands Strategic Overhaul in Response to Venezuelan Diplomacy
By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — As the diplomatic row over Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s “map brooch” continues to simmer, the combined Opposition is calling on the government to move beyond “emotional responses” and implement a robust, bipartisan strategy. While acknowledging President Irfaan Ali’s recent letter to CARICOM, Opposition MPs argue that Guyana cannot “outsource its dignity” to regional bodies while failing to activate its own democratic institutions.
The call for a more proactive stance comes just days before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) begins oral hearings on the merits of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.
Amanza Walton-Desir: “Diplomatic Offensive Needs a Parliamentary Defense”
MP Amanza Walton-Desir, representing the Forward Guyana Movement, characterized Rodríguez’s recent Caribbean tour as a calculated “diplomatic offensive.”
- Outward vs. Inward: While Walton-Desir agreed that writing to the CARICOM Chair was appropriate, she criticized the government for neglecting internal mechanisms. “We cannot outsource our dignity,” she noted, pointing out that the National Assembly has yet to be convened specifically to address these recent provocations.
- Stymied Committees: The MP slammed the government for failing to fully constitute the Foreign Relations Committee. She argued that without this bipartisan forum, Guyana’s response lacks the unified, national weight required to signal resolve to the international community.
Odessa Primus: “Strategy Over Emotion”
General Secretary of We Invest in Nationhood, Odessa Primus, stressed that the administration’s current posture appears reactive rather than visionary.
- Long-Term Thinking: “Strategy is important because we have to think long term,” Primus asserted. She warned that functioning on “emotions alone” prevents the kind of sustainable, long-term planning needed to counter Venezuela’s persistent territorial claims.
- Accountability Gap: Primus reiterated that the absence of functional sectoral committees prevents the Opposition from holding the government accountable for its foreign policy decisions—or lack thereof.
Riaz Rupnarain: “A Failure of Economic Diplomacy”
Representing A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Riaz Rupnarain expressed concern that the government is demonstrating “incompetence” on a matter of vital national interest.
- Reactive vs. Proactive: Rupnarain argued that simply “writing letters” to express discontent is an insufficient defense of sovereignty.
- Policy Void: He claimed that after six years, the current administration has shown “no clear foreign policy” and has failed to utilize economic diplomacy to strengthen Guyana’s position among regional partners who are currently being courted by Caracas.
Conclusion: A Call for Bipartisan Unity
The combined Opposition’s message is clear: the defense of the Essequibo is a national project that requires the full activation of Guyana’s Parliament. As the “map wars” escalate into the diplomatic sphere, MPs Walton-Desir, Primus, and Rupnarain are urging the government to stop “stymying” the work of the People’s House. For the Opposition, a unified, strategic front is the only way to ensure that Guyana’s sovereignty is not negotiated away through “brooch diplomacy” or international silence.
