Guyana’s grand plan

See below an Editorial published by the Trinidad Express newspaper on June 12, 2022:

As expected, boycotts over the Biden administration’s invitation list dominated the Ninth Summit of the Organisation of the Americas (OAS) in Los Angeles. However, several Caricom leaders who attended very successfully and effectively used the summit as a platform from which to challenge the unilateral decision of the US to exclude the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Among those who minced no words on the issue was Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who, speaking as “a proud member of the Caribbean Community” urged respect and regard for “all states within our hemisphere, including Cuba and Venezuela”. Similarly, Dominica’s Roosevelt Skerrit called for an end to the blockade against Cuba, citing its “history of extraordinary humanitarianism” and its “unjust listing as a state which sponsors terrorism”.

One could detect in the Caricom presence a notable heightening of confidence which may have something to do with Barbados’ straight-talking Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, whose mastery of complex issues with a Caribbean earthiness has been winning friends and influencing people the world over.

However, the address that should command our attention was that of Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali. Listing the troubling hemispheric statistics on hunger and poverty, education and housing deficits, low agricultural yield and natural disaster impacts, Dr Ali declared that Guyana was ready to make its contribution to humanity and the region.

As he noted, Guyana comes to the table with phenomenal natural resources. “We’re among the best in managing our forests with a deforestation rate of 0.05 per cent… We have standing forests the size of England storing 19.5 gigatons of carbon. We have 11 billion barrels of proven oil reserves; as I speak an assessment of gas reserves is underway.”

Guyana has had its problems, he said, but with its economy projected to double in size in two years, it recognises that the optimum path forward lies in collaboration.

“We cannot be reckless and we would not be irresponsible in managing these resources in the interest of the world and the interest of this region. This, coupled with the potential of Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago and possibilities through investment and exploration, with gas in Barbados we can make this region energy secure. Let us get together and have a conversation that defines a pathway for energy security for this region.”

Earlier, Dr Ali has been emphatic in championing Trinidad and Tobago as a possible solution to the US problem of declining proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas: “Trinidad and Tobago has an opportunity with proven natural gas reserves of 10 trillion cubic feet and an estimated potential of 23 trillion cubic ft. They must be part of the equation in finding a solution to this problem,” he declared without further elaboration.

In a few sentences, Dr Ali offered a glimpse of a Caribbean integrated by the competitive advantages of its members. Although long championed by committed integrationists, the vision has found little fertile ground within the insular corridors of political power.

Change may be upon us. Let’s take up Dr Ali’s invitation to get together and talk.