Mr Arcia-Aporrea’s view is offered not to help Guyana
Dear Editor,
With the discovery and production of oil now, Guyana has entered a new era not only in its history, but also our global significance. However, we do not seem to be able to fully understand our new geo-strategic significance. Nowhere is this more visibly painful than the behavior of the press corps. I was surprised when an article was posted on January 21, entitled Oil-Based Perspective of the Essequibo Region of Venezuela (https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15101). The article was nothing special, another in a long line of poorly written passages, containing thinly veiled threats against Guyana and calling on Caracas to step up its war policy of economic warfare. What struck me was the author’s name. Mr. Arcia-Aporrea is a Venezuelan who has repeatedly called for Essequibo annexation and praised recent Caracas degrees infringing Guyana’s territorial waters (https://twitter.com/EinsteinMillan/status/1347502947295506433). Despite this, in the past year, it has been featured no less than five times in Guyanese newspapers; is supposed to provide impartial advice on the impending doom of oil and gas.
Mr Arcia-Aporrea’s view is offered not to help Guyana; in fact it gives very low coverage to Guyana (https://twitter.com/KSansculotteG/status/1229127402263138304). Rather its purpose is to ensure that we are prevented from developing our oil and gas, which it assumes belongs to Caracas. Mr Arcia-Aporrea has made no attempt to hide his irrational claims, or his loyalty. This raises the question, how could a Venezuelan who bends dismembering Guyana be given a place in this newspaper to spread the intent of misinformation on Guyana dilution? Wasn’t this guy vetted? Didn’t this paper that thousands of Guyanese read every day, think about doing a simple background check before publishing his pieces? This is not only the failure of the editor of the letters department, but a case of pure neglect and disregard for the delicate position that Guyana finds itself in vis-a-vis Venezuela. In fact on one occasion the Guyanese newspaper sought his opinion as an ‘impartial expert’.
While I’m not saying that all news about oil and gas should be good news, it seems urgent to push a narrative of doom and madness that Guyana’s most prominent newspapers have allowed a person who desires to be ill on space Guyana spread misinformation. In offering advice in English and claiming that oil will spell and end for Guyana; in Spanish Mr Arcia-Aporrea openly calls for economic slowdown and even Guyana’s invasion. As we say in Berbice, All Skin Teet Nah Smile. Guyana deserves better from our media.
Truly,
Kwesi Sansculotte-Greenidge