The President next door is proving himself to be quite the sneaky diplomat
If you scan the vanilla-red webpages of Venezuela’s “hegemonized” media, you might learn that Nicolás Maduro went to a Mercosur summit in Brasilia today. Speeches were given, documents signed, and nothing major came out of it.
Good thing we have the foreign media to give us the scoop. Apparently, Maduro, in a hissy fit, skipped the luncheon. Take it, Jornal O Globo (my translation from the original Portuguese):
Irritated with the treatment [Brazilian] President Dilma Rousseff gave her Guyanese colleague, David Granger, the President of Venezuela left the Heads of State Summitt of Mercosur early. The Venezuelan delegation left before the luncheon given by the hostess this Friday, after statements by Granger regarding what he calls ‘provocations’ from Caracas, who is disputing a border area known as the Esequibo.
It all began when Dilma met with Granger in a bilateral meeting moments before the summit began. Maduro had arrived earlier and tried to participate in the talks. The Brazilian President, however, did not authorize his entry into the meeting.
During the meeting between Dilma and Granger, the President of Guyana asked for Brazil’s support in mediating a peaceful solution. Dilma accepted. Later, while the Venezuelan avoided mentioning the subject in his summitt speech, Granger, who spoke after the Venezuelan, cited the conflict.
“The entire world recognizes our borders. Guyana was obstructed while trying to develop its own territory. Our neighbors expelled one of our oil exploration ships, and our economy has been paralized. We have suffered tiresome provocations for many years,” said the Guyanese President.
The Esequibo is a maritime zone where American company Exxon Mobil has discovered important oil reserves. The expectation is that Maduro, who will later take part in the summitt of heads of state of Mercosur, will speak of the topic with Dilma.”
Apparently, after the lunch disaster Maduro said that he was perfectly fine with the rest of South America dipping their spoons into the Esequibo conflict. But is this a case of putting on a brave face in order to save it?
After all, this is the first time that anyone other than the parties involved and the United Nations get directly involved in the conflict. And it doesn’t seem like this is happening because Venezuela wants it, but because Guyana insisted on it.
In other words, Venezuela is being dragged into arguing about a bilateral border dispute … with a bunch of countries that have no stake in the matter. Maduro may try to spin this any way he wants, but this is not the outcome that Venezuela wanted.
Caracas Chronicles 
Reblogged this on cautivadulce.
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With a Delcy Rodriguez in charge of Venezuelan diplomacy would you expect anything better?
I mean Chavistas are not known as high performing individuals, but Delcy, she is the bottom of the barrel.
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It is not only Delcy but the general arrogant attitude of the Venezuelan government thugs. In less diplomatic language they are just bullies and thugs, who expect everyone else to respect and bow down to them while not respecting anyone themselves. They are really just playacting as leaders because they have no idea how to actually lead a country. The inmates are in charge of tghe asylum. Maduro simply does not have the abilities necessary to govern properly. He is completely out of his element and does not know how to rule, to negotiate, to act with respect for human rights, from simply being courteous to outright brutal violations of human beings, and his wife.. well she has her own lust for power. Walking out of the Mercosur is identical behavior to a child running away because the other children do not want to play his game and would not let him play their game because he wants to dictate the rules so it only benefits him. Maduro is a burro of the lowest order and while pig is a good analogy, calling Maduro a pig is an insult to pigs. MasBurro !!!!!! And the people will suffer and die and his country will die. If he had any love for his country and the ability to see it as it is —- and truly it is him and his wife, (and the band of thugs around him – familia!) and no one else destroying it, he would have the courage to resign and stop the madness. But he will not resign, because power is a very strong narcotic and it also corrupts absolutely!! At this point he is simply a crack addict. He is going around the world scrounging up a financial “fix” and selling himself and his country like the cheap la puta he is. In the end the true power brokers of the world will pass him around like a crack whore for their own benefit and laugh and make fun of him and use him and his resources. So much for Venezuela controlling the sovereignty of the countries resources under the Socialist Revolution —- eh Nicolas!
Viva la revolucion.
vomito!!
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Emilia, well said.
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I couldn’t care less about Maduro messing up and alienating allies, what I’m really worried about is the Venezuelan opposition not toning down their rethoric on the issue… Note, for instance, that most of South America has never supported Argentina on the Falklands’ question, which is against an European power, now imagine if Venezuela will be able to get a lot of support in a matter in which wants to possess ‘just’ half of an already tiny Guyana, a fellow third world country. Extremely difficult… If not impossible.
I insist on my comment from three days ago:
http://caracaschronicles.com/2015/07/14/sal-de-ese-cuerpo-pablo-medina/#comment-198880
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“The President next door is proving himself to be quite the sneaky diplomat.”
With all undue respect, I happen to be much more than just a “sneaky diplomat”. Certainly well educated, unlike that Colombian highschool dropout, bus driving thug you call president.
Plus I happen to be a History Scholar Career Military Officer of the highest ranks. I know more about our History and National Defense than your entire lamentable circle of dictatorial clowns in power will ever begin to know.
Good luck in stealing 2/3rds of our land, you’re just more than a Century late.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Granger
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Just confirmed, this is not a post from His Excellency the President of Guyana but that of a fake person. Thank you
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Good journalism, Juan. On top of the events.
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Absolutely. You’re beating the entire Venezuelan press on this. Kudos to the Brazilian reporters, Eliane Oliveira and Evandro Eboli, also.
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Guyanas insistance in getting other countries involved was tought by Chaves Mesmo. Just look at the days not long ago when Obama signed Executive Order against some venezuelans, what happened ? Maduro went on to call all South American countries and organizations and get their backing against the imperialist USA.
Javier
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And what happened later?
(I’m a ignorant, i’m sorry)
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It’s events like these that make me nostalgic for the nebulous take of our little friends, among them, Arturo, passionate defender of the Revolution.
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Hoy en la ejcuela le ensenaron a mi hijita Jeny Yelisay toitica la hijtoria del ezekibo, despuej de cantal el higno nasional gloria la bravo pueblo de nuejtro comandante eterno Chavez.
Ej hora que el imperio Irlandes de Gullana noj devuelva esas tierras que noj robaron durante la segunda guerra mundial, apoyados pol el eje madrid-bogota-miami. ya bajta de bochinche, mi pueblo.
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At $120 a barrel a nitwit standing on oil strides the world like a colossus. At $50 it is on its bum throwing sand and tantrums at Guyana to get attention.
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Maduro now realises it will not be as easy as expropriating farms and businesses.
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With all respect, I may understand you are opposed to the current Venezuelan government, as I also do. But when talking about Venezuela’s national interests, we must put our differences aside in order to work together. The British Empire stole the land west of the Essequibo river from Venezuela and an Arbitral Award in 1899 gave that land to the British, without considering the Venezuelan titles and rights on the territory. The award was completely null, even according to the relevant rules at that time. That is a fact all Venezuelans must recognize and cannot be dismissed by anyone with a trace of Venezuelan blood. When you say south american countries have not supported Argentina on its claims over the Malvinas, you are wrong. Actually all latin american countries have been supporting Argentina on that. You can criticize the Venezuelan government on its way of ruling the country and its economy, or even on the fact that they may use the conflict with Guyana to gain support from the people, but you can’t dismiss our national claim over the Essequibo without being suitably called traitorous and unpatriotic. We already have plenty of unpatriotic and traitorous people here, don’t be another one.
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You really need to review the history on this forgetting the propaganda you learned in school. This is a red herring being used to distract Venezuelans from other real issues.
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Judging my background and education without knowing me? I know very well what I’m talking about, and I’ve also read Guyanese books on this issue. I know very well how to differentiate between propaganda and facts. You say the government is using this to distract form other issues, maybe it’s true. But that doesn’t mean Venezuela as a country has the right to contest the Arbitral Award of 1899, and that doesn’t mean the British didn’t stole the land from a weak Venezuela in the XIX century. If the insults from the Guyanese president have finally awakened my government will to understand the Venezuelan titles over the Essequibo, I’m happy. I think you should learn to differentiate between mass media simplistic articles and historic research. Once you’ve read a bit more about this issue, maybe you can come here with some facts and allegations instead of your grievance.
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Alex, in school I wrote an award-winning history thesis (2/250) on the Venezuelan Boundary Dispute of 1899, and there is no question in my mind that Venezuela was robbed of her rightful territory by the final decision; actually, in my opinion, the only good thing Maduro has done is to defend Vanezuela’s claim to what really is its territory, against the claims of the Guyanese and its two-bit ungrateful Caricom neighbors/friends.
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I’d like to read that thesis. Also I’m available if you want to do a deeper research on this matter.
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For what it’s worth, I thought the reclamacion was ludicrous during la cuarta as well…
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And Panama was a region that was part of Colombia that seceded with support from the US and the borders in Africa were arbitrarily set up by the colonial powers and the US incorporated a good chunk of Mexico into it’s territory, and there are many many other examples, modern borders were the product of wars, occupations and similar events, morality or legality per se were never an issue, if you go down that slippery slope many existent borders will be considered invalid because they were stolen, occupied, etc.
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Roy specialises in one line “put downs” particularly where your knowledge or views are contrary to common agreement, on this forum that is.
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I rather admire people who hold on to their convictions even when they are unpopular if they honestly think they are right , if the herd instinct makes people instinctively attach themselves to the mayority opinion its a sign of intellectual flippancy and frivolity and the desire to inspire others simpathy whatever the cost which is a serious character flaw .
In this case I do believe that a case can be reasonable made that Venezuela has grounds for contesting the arbitral award even if the chances of a succesful result is not high , not because Ive studied the matter myself in depht but because of the many people of high intellectual calibre and honesty that have studied the matter and published their conclusion .
The fact that the regime belatedly and for its own purposes is assumming the case is not reason enough to assumme it is unwhorty of support , even a slow clock hits the mark twice a day ….
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“the British didn’t stole the land from a weak Venezuela in the XIX century.”
And Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, etc. stole land from weak sovereign native tribes at the same time (who stole it from different weaker sovereign native tribes earlier).
The entire world is governed by people that stole land from other people some time in history (Exceptions being situations like Iceland, Wake Island, Pitcairn, or the Falklands,)
When Venezuela recognized and agreed to the arbitration in 1899, and then for 60 years recognized that decision, they gave up the right of claim. Then in true Latin American tradition, some populist convinced the campesinos otherwise.
If you want the land now (Venezuela simply wants the oil and mines, they couldn’t give 2 shits about the jungle and the people living there), gather your army and conquer it old school, Putin style.
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Alex,
I apologize for my curt comment without rebuttal details. I have commented previously on this blog on this issue, and didn’t want to repeat myself.
Here is how I read the history of this issue:
During the 19th century Venezuela and Britain had competing claims in the Essiquibo region. It was still largely unexplored and unexploited. At some point (~1849?) there was an agreement signed to avoid exploitation of the region until such time as the competing claims could be adjudicated. Britain and Venezuela, however, both continued to exploit the region from both sides, until the uncertainty of territorial claims became untenable. In 1894 Venezuela appealed to the United States to intervene, citing the Monroe Doctrine as justification. The United States did not want to get involved, only going as far as suggesting the possibility of arbitration. At the time of the 1899 Arbitration, Venezuela was very week and did not have a credible central government to defend its claim, so the U.S. represented Venezuela interests, as well as their own. Britain was expanding its presence and influence, which alarmed the U.S., which wanted to limit European incursion into the Americas. When the arbitration took place, admittedly, Venezuela took little part in it. However, if it were not for the United States’ intervention, Venezuela would have lost all its territory to and past the Orinoco River. The arbitration settlement essentially “cut the baby in half” and assured that most valuable strategic portions of the disputed territory remained Venezuelan including the Orinoco River. The decision was considered to be a very good outcome for Venezuela at the time. This decision was not seriously contested by Venezuela for 58 years, during which time, the Essiquibo was settled by the Guyanese. Venezuelan maps from this period clearly indicate that the border was established and agreed upon.
Without a doubt, the process of the arbitration was messy and there was backdoor dealings involved. But, it was better than Venezuela could have hoped for at the time, without the U.S. intervention. There were some grumblings immediately after the arbitration, but for all intents and purposes, the result was accepted by Venezuela until 1945 when it was denounced in the first UN General Assembly. The issue has been the subject of periodic disputes and negotiations since and has been elevated in priority at times and ignored at other times.
The problem with Venezuela’s claim is not just that it is weak, but that the territory in question is has been settled by and is now populated by English speaking Guyanese who have no desire to become Venezuelan. For Venezuela to take the Essiquibo back would involve conquering and evicting or subjugating the existing population. Current world sensibilities make such actions impossible. In other words, the issue has been overcome by events.
Unfortunately, Venezuela’s official position on the issue is intractable. The educational indoctrination in Venezuelan schools for the last 50 years has made the issue extremely emotional for Venezuelans, and many see any suggestion that Venezuela negotiate concessions as tantamount to treason. If Venezuela is willing to approach the issue rationally and with maturity, it could use its weak claim to negotiate some concessions from Guyana and develop plans for joint exploitation of the region that would be beneficial to both parties. Lamentably, “reason” and “maturity” have not been hallmarks of recent Venezuelan governments.
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Do you honestly believe Venezuela has a chance of recovering over a hundred thousand km2 from Guyana more than a hundred years after the fact? We’re not in the 19th century anymore, people; territoriality is consubstantial to self-determination, and the people of the Esequibo DO NOT want to be Venezuelans.
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IN this case , we the Amerindians are the owners..because your Spanish forefathers stole it from us long before the British stole it from you.. so both of you hv no rights on the land.. just get out and keep quite!
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In this case, we the Amerindian are the true owners of the land, because your forefathers stole it from us long before the British stole it from you…so what? Both of you can just get out and be quite!
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Just a distraction created by Maduro
Assume oil goes to 200 dollars tomorrow
They would quickly revert to plundering the country and throwing some crumbs at the pueblo (just no crumbs right now, that’s the problem)
They would then make up with Guyana and
solemnly declare:
Venezuela has always been at war with Eurasia (or is that Ocaenia)?
Two legs good, four legs bad
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I didn’t know that there were so many territorial disputes in the world. Dozens. And a few of them are over a century old, and have been recently settled. Surprising.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_disputes
Venezuela’s chances now are slim to none. Not just because of the barbaric thugs in power, who have zero clue about diplomatic negotiations. But because bullish Venezuela is a huge piece of rich land, twice the size of France, while Guyana is a poor, small new country.
After over 100 years, International supervision will never allow 2/3 of Guyana, plus the oil, to be amputated now from the Huge rich nation to the tiny poor one. Or 1/3rd. Or less.
Wasted time and resources now, especially for the opposition.
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Venezuela has 275 billion barrels of known reserves, yet it covet’s tiny, impoverished Guyana’s “possible” 1 billion barrels. The issue here is really the fact that it is ExxonMobil who found it (hated gringos) and the fact that they can no longer control Guyana with Petrocaribe handouts (client state to a petro empire). The Guyanese are also English-speaking and not culturally latino, so they fall into the same category as the Falklands in the latino mind. I would also venture to say that if Exxon and other gringo oil companies were still operating in Venezuela, PDVSA’s balance sheets and production figures would not look so gloomy.
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Be careful here. That oil find off the coast of the Essequibo is much larger than what was reported in the world press. This is a significant oil discovery which is now being further explored.
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The dispute is not about oil , the dispute is about the validity of arbitral decisions obtained through fraud , there are people who argue that they can be contested , that from a traditional legal western view is not irrational , advancing a claim can be justified even if in practical terms the chances of a succesful result are not high , a claim is not made because it has great chances of being succesful but because your dignity demands that you protest the injustice done to you. The fact that the country benefitting from the fraud is small and the country making the claim is bigger does not detract from the substantive justice of the claim , justice is not about our taste for wallowing in sentimentality and how that can lead us to simpathyze with the small guy. If a midget knifes you that doesnt make his act an innocent one .!!
Before Chavez decided to gut Pdvsa by firing all its managerial and professional staff it was producing 89% of the 3.4 million bls a day Venezuela produced alone , by itself, with no help from Exxon , Exxon was involved in producing a bit under 200 thousand bls a day in a joint venture it had with Pdvsa and other companies . Exxon is a great company , but Pdvsa before its dismantling by Chavez was quite capable of competently handling Venezuelas oil resources with no difficulty .Now of course Pdvsa is but a ruined remnant of what it used to be . Our hope must be that in future its past capacitities can be restored with the help of , among others, great companies like Exxon.
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One has to admire MCM’s fighting spirit, but she should shut the fuck up already about this useless Essequibo crap. Even if she tries to use it to attack the Masburro Regime, it’s wasted time and effort. Same goes for the politiquero pendejo ese de Chuo. The MUD is dead wrong using a Quixotic lost cause, attached to stupid nationalism and retarded “patriotism”, for its own political purposes. Stupid and counterproductive. Echandole gasolina al fuego, just what the Dictatorship wants.
Anyone with half a brain knows that ship has sailed, long ago.
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“The dispute is not about oil”
Nope. And the World truly cares about Iraq and the Middle East, and Syria’s geneocide, and Africa’s poor, the welfare of their beautiful people. You see, politics are all about principles, that’s why every country now loves Cuba, and their impeccable human rights. That’s why the entire world will come to rescue Kleptozuela, we’re such nice people. It’s the right thing to do. Zero interests.
It’s all about ethics, good vs. evil, morality and what’s right in the world these days. Nothing to do with Oil or putrid political propaganda.. God bless (my god not yours)
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If there was not a drop of oil in the disputed maritime areas there would still be a case for seeking the invalidation of the arbitratal decision , the claim was begun when no one knew or suspected that there might be oil in those waters at the initiative of people inside the Chancery whose position was not inspired by any mercerany considerations . I happened to know some of them . You Palante are judging the world by those (sometimes sordid) standards that hold the greatest appeal to you . Everything is about corruption and money . But its a big world out there and some people act on the basis of motives you apparently are unable to understand. They are not necessarily and always the noblest of motives but venality is just one of the many motivations that channel the behaviour of men
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If we are going to rearrange geography based on deconstructing 100 year-old history, then how about this:
A reasonable case can be made that the Spanish-American war was an illegal, naked act of aggression, started by the U.S. in order to strip Spain of her empire. Who blew up the USS Maine? American sappers? Many think so.
If this be the case, then the Treaty of Paris should be declared null and void, and the Island of Cuba should be returned to Spain straightaway.
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I read a book on the sinking of the Maine and the causes of the explosion are far from settled, most historians Ive read tend to think that it was an accident , in any event two wrongs dont make a right , in practical terms there is not much to expect from the claim , but each country is free to make whatever claims it deems legitimate if it so chooses. Look how israel was born , after jewish presence in the what now is called Israel had dissapeared for thousand of years, the passing of years sometimes is not as definitive a factor as one might think.!!
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No, but organizing and creating a guerrilla movement, and fighting for your ideal, and conquering the land of the present state of Israel is. The point being, if you want the land go for it! take it. and take the consequences of having done.
This is what Guyana has done. they have taken the land and now are ready to defend it. kudos to them.
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I think giving Cuba back to Spain is a great idea if it gets rid of the Castro communist insanity! Cuba is already the number one tourist destination for Spaniards in search of child prostitutes anyway.
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http://guyanachronicle.com/economic-war-a-real-one/ CC Been used as propaganda :D
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