Amanza Walton-Desir, Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement and Opposition Member of Parliament, has issued a warning about the serious implications for Guyana should a war erupt in neighboring Venezuela. Speaking on Gomoseley Radio’s “New Day” program this morning, she highlighted the potential for an increased migration crisis and a social upheaval within Guyana.
Walton-Desir emphasized that, while she does not support the Maduro regime, those calling for war in Venezuela must consider the broader consequences for a small country like Guyana, which shares a border with Venezuela. “Do you understand that our lives will never be the same if war breaks out in Venezuela? If war breaks out, you’re going to have increased migrant flows. Imagine 300,000 people crossing our borders to add to the 100,000 already here,” she stated. She pointed out that, under international conventions, Guyana would have a duty to provide shelter and safe harbor for these refugees.
Furthermore, she asserted that a united CARICOM (Caribbean Community) is essential at this critical time. Walton-Desir believes that the regional grouping would have a greater influence on stabilizing the situation if its members could present a unified voice. She noted that recent individual interests among member countries have hindered this unity.
“What we are seeing now is this aspiration for the region to remain a zone of peace slipping away, which is concerning,” Walton-Desir remarked, urging regional leaders to approach the issue with sobriety and caution. “We have seen such situations play out in other parts of the world, and it never ends well.”
She acknowledged that while some countries in the region may have their own security challenges, CARICOM as a whole must advocate for a return to a rules-based system.
The geopolitical tensions are exacerbated by the increasing military presence of the United States in the region, aimed at pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. Recently, the US has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking, targeting Venezuelan drug cartels. Reports indicate that US military forces have conducted aerial strikes on more than two dozen suspected drug boats, resulting in the deaths of over 80 suspected traffickers.
The situation escalated further when, on Wednesday, US military forces seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast that was allegedly transporting oil to Cuba, claiming it was transporting a sanctioned product.
