[www.inewsguyana.com] – As described by the Bolivarian Revolution, the southern giant, Brazil, is Venezuela’s closed ally, yet when it comes to Venezuela’s dispute over the Essequibo, Brazil supports Guyana’s consolidation in the territory in dispute.
In a report compiled by British Anthropologist and Researcher Audrey Butt Colson earlier in September, the expert unveils information leaked by Wikileaks in October 2009.
The information had been sent by the US chargé d’affaires to Brasilia, Lisa Kubiske, who comments about some statements made by Brazilian Ambassador Rubem Barbosa, regarding Brazil’s interests in the Essequibo.
Referring to Brazil’s investment in a hydroelectric power generation plant in the Essequibo and answering whether Venezuela’s claim would not spoil Brazil’s plans, Barbosa, says the leak, was confident that the political reasons to carry out the project were convincing.
According to the leak, the hydroelectric plant would be built in Guyana’s peace of the territory in dispute with Venezuela. According to Barbosa, Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo had described the action as a main step to consolidate Guyana’s rights over the area.
Barbosa, also international advisor to the Brazilian Ministry of Mining and Energy, stated that Jagdeo had noticed that former president Hugo Chávez had not taken part in the case (the dispute).
This and the decision made by a third arbiter claiming that the zone in dispute belonged to Guyana (Arbitration award of 1899) were good enough so that the then Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula Da silva, continued with the project.
The US diplomat pointed out that “in addition to raising energy capacity in the two countries, and stepping Guyana closer, politically speaking, to its neighbors in South America, the project would allow Guyana to establish a Government’s infrastructure in the Essequibo, which is the object of the dispute.
The reason
Yet, what are Brazil’s interests to reinforce Guyana’s position over Venezuela’s claim? The answer is elaborated in the same leak.
Kubiske has underlined that constructing a bilateral hydroelectric plant on Guyana’s border, just near the Brazilian state of Roraima, was an idea emerging from a meeting held between Lula and Jaqdeo on September 14, 2009, during the opening of bridge Takutu, aimed at integrating the road communicating Brazil with the sea through Guyana.
She adds that analysts believe Brazil is quite interesting in the access to the ports of Guyana’s Atlantic, which may lead to its northern states, such as Roraima.
In brief, Brazil sees the Essequibo as an entrance and exit of goods through the Atlantic for its northern states. So the reactivation of Venezuela’s claim is regarded as inconvenient to Brazil’s interests. [El Universal]
