No election activities in Guyana’s Essequibo region by Venezuela

Several frontline indigenous communities at Guyana’s border with neighbouring Venezuela were buzzing with patriotism, peace and calm on Sunday May 25 – a day when the Nicolás Maduro regime had set for so-called elections to appoint a Governor and legislative council for the Essequibo region – a territory that is internationally recognised as Guyana’s.

However, there were no such electoral activities held in any of the communities on local land, as Guyana’s borders remained intact. In fact, Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan, confirmed on Sunday evening, noting that the bordering communities were largely uneventful throughout the day.

“No reports of any disturbances. All quiet,” the Army Chief indicated in a brief comment.

This was witnessed firsthand during a Government-organised trip to Region One (Barima-Waini), one of Guyana’s regions that shares a border with the Spanish-speaking nation. The visit was organised not just to allay fears among Guyanese over Venezuela’s threats and its spurious claims to the resource-rich Essequibo, which is two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass, but also to combat misinformation being peddled by Caracas.

During Sunday’s visit, several private and state media houses were taken to various frontline communities, mostly indigenous areas, within and surrounding the Region One of Port Kaituma, Matthew’s Ridge and Mabaruma.

One of the areas visited was Imbotero, a remote frontline community in Guyana where a Venezuelan army base is just across the Barima River, which separates the two neighbouring South American nations. With a Police Station and GDF ranks stationed at the border location – a roughly 25 minutes boat ride from Mabaruma, residents there went about their routine activities amidst peace and calm throughout the day.

Police Commander of Regional Division One, Senior Superintendent Krishna Ramana, explained that there is regular patrolling of that border location both by the police and army.

“The area is safe and calm, and we’ve seen no aggression [on Sunday]. And it will remain this way because we’ve been observant… It is very quiet. The residents are going about their daily lives… no one is in fear… and we’ve not seen strange movement or any strange activity that is happening,” the Police Commander told reporters during Sunday’s visit to Region One.

Another location visited was the indigenous community of Baramita in Region One, which also shares the border with Venezuela.

Residents there also went about their normal routine, heading to church in the morning and then gathering throughout the community to display their defiance of Venezuela’s attempt to drive fear and intimidation among Guyanese.

Deputy Toshao of Baramita, Yonita James, told reporters that the Village Council has been working with residents to assure them of their safety and security.

“We encourage them not to be scared… They [used to] get scared many times and then people go away. They (Venezuela) just frightening us but we are not frightened. We does encourage [villagers] to stay strong because we done know Essequibo is ours,” James contended.

Home to just over 1000 Guyanese, mainly from the Amerindian Carib tribe, Baramita is about three hours from the border with Venezuela.

According to the Deputy Toshao, Venezuelans usually travel to their village to buy ration – some have even settled there after fleeing hardships in the neighbouring Spanish-speaking nation.

“I think [the Venezuelans here] want to be citizens of Guyana… We have Venezuelans in we village right now. We went yesterday [erecting flags everywhere] and even their house, we put the flag and we explained to them that they’re in Guyana and this Guyana’s flag, and if they take it down, we gonna charge them or deport them. They didn’t say anything. They keep asking for more flags.”

“Maduro is suffering them and punishing them, make they come over into we country and they living a better life here…They (Venezuelans) proud of the Guyana flag,” the Baramita official stated.

According to James, there are approximately 100 Venezuelans living in Baramita. On Sunday, the Village Council official indicated that there were no reports of any of these migrants travelling back to Venezuela to vote in Maduro’s elections.

“Most of these Venezuelans here right now want try to get their Guyanese ID (identification) cards. They want to become a Guyanese but it’s difficult for them,” she related.

The Deputy Toshao also told reporters that leading up to Sunday, no one from Venezuela came into their village to campaign for those elections.

“Let me make in known clearly that Essequibo belongs to Guyana and we all should feel safe and secure in Baramita,” James declared.

While confident of the Government’s, including the military, efforts to protect citizens there, the Baramita official expressed her desire to see an increase in the number of army personnel in the border village.