Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
By Alessandro Giustolisi
When I was in school and began studying geography and history in 1970, I heard about the dispute of Essequibo, a disputed territory bordered on the east by the Essequibo River, controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.
In the Spanish time, this territory was part of the Capitania General de Venezuela from about 1530, but from 1621, the Dutch got some part of it and then from 1782 the British took over, alternating the Dutch settlements for a while. However, from 1803, it remained a stable British colony.
The origins of the Essequibo dispute date back to 1814. There was no defined border with Venezuela at the time and it remained that way until 1835 when the British government commissioned Robert Schomburgk to survey the border region and draw a boundary. He drew the Schomburgk Line, which corresponds to the current western border of Guyana. Venezuela quickly responded by claiming its right to control everything east of the Essequibo River, which runs down the centre of Guyana. The people living on both sides of the border are mostly indigenous with their own languages. Ironically, just a few years ago, plenty of oil was found in this territory – a development that could completely change all the geopolitical interest in this forgotten corner of the world.
The Spanish were so busy with the independence wars in Latin America that they never gave much importance to the territory of Essequibo, an area of wild land where they never built even a small town or road, never pushed a strong claim against the British for, or tried to regain. It was only after the new independent Venezuela, at that time part of Gran Colombia, started the official claim in 1824 against Britain which escalated the dispute after Guyana got its independence in 1966 from Great Britain. Now, Guyana wants the border that Britain left them and Venezuela wants the border Spain had.
The Guyana of today, unfortunately, inherited a dispute with a country in which it could share an important border, and because of this dispute, a road was never built to link the two countries, no cultural ties were made, and no trade was done. Guyana is in a geographical position that allows it to have a land border with paved roads to Suriname with the possibility to continue to French Guyana and Brazil. Now imagine if Guyana had a land border linking it directly to most developed areas in Venezuela, with the continuation to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. A trade route like this would be completely beneficial but would never be possible if this dispute continues. The problem is, in my opinion, this dispute will never end, especially with the new oil findings. Guyana perhaps thinks that by getting the oil, it can resolve most of the problems it has, while Venezuela, on the other hand, is not keen on giving up its claim to the Essequibo and sees the region as a valuable economic resource.
An old British map showing the boundary
lines of British Guiana, 1896.
I would like to make a public proposal to the governments of Guyana and Venezuela that is perhaps a bold idea but a new and realistic idea to end the dispute and create opportunities for the local people of Essequibo, Guyana, Venezuela, the neighbouring countries, and all of Latin America. Today, there is a factor that could change all the cards if both sides put their human principles first and economic principles after. The idea is eco-tourism.
The Essequibo area, which is around 159 500 square kilometres (61 600 square miles) is still wild and doesn’t need many physical structures. It could preserve nature for the next generation and be a destination for eco-tourism and nature sports.
With some better roads, better healthcare centres, better telecommunication structures, and airports, it would be easy to administer like a separate zone. A binational partnership between Guyana and Venezuela could govern the special region of Essequibo. People born or already residing there could have dual citizenship of Guyana and Venezuela; either currency could be used – the Guyanese Dollar or the Venezuelan Bolivar; it could be a non-militarised zone (in the event of war the residents of Essequibo would not participate in any war for either Guyana nor Venezuela); and all citizens of Guyana and Venezuela would have equal rights in any activity. In any international treaty where Guyana and Venezuela are signatories, Essequibo would be included as part of it as well. Practically, Essequibo would be in CARICOM and ALBA as well.
All the state administration revenues would remain inside the special zone to avoid another dispute, but revenue profits from natural resources (like oil) could be shared in three equal parts between Essequibo, Guyana and Venezuela. The flags of Guyana and Venezuela should always be represented in Essequibo; local languages, English and Spanish should be the official languages; and a system to have less tax on some activities to attract some new business could even be implemented in the first few years. The forgotten people of Essequibo who today are isolated in the middle of this dispute would finally get their good days, being the connection point between Latin America, Venezuela, and Guyana, together with Suriname and French Guiana.
In my suggestion for a peaceful resolution to this dispute, Guyana and Venezuela would have to give away at least 50 per cent of their claims, which could result in benefits not only for the habitants of Essequibo but for the two countries as well. Launching this proposal would be an important step in bringing peace and prosperity to the region, instead of blocking the development of the people who live in this disputed area and neighbouring countries.
I hope the authorities in charge of the Essequibo on both sides of Guyana and Venezuela, along with CARICOM and other international entities will consider this proposal.
Alessandro Giustolisi is a former travel industry executive and the owner and operator of Antillean Atlantic.
