Back in the day when your callow Eyewitness was supposed to be soaking up learning (wisdom?) to equip him to become a working stiff, along with quadratic equations, he learnt about the “first law of geography”. He still hasn’t found a use for quadratic equations, but over the years as Venezuela and Suriname tried to carve out chunks of our country for themselves, he appreciated the import of that second nugget of knowledge. This announced that “Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.”
Now at the time, the “law” hadn’t seemed to be of no great insight to your bemused Eyewitness!! And in fact, he’d wondered why it even had to be in a book since even he’d figured out that factoid on his own lonesome!! But he later appreciated that the fella might’ve also been referring to neighbours – and how we may have to give priority to our dealings with them!! In this globalised world, while all countries might now be related – look at how the Iran war affected us!! – our neighbours who’re smack next to us are in a position to become permanent headaches!! Especially when they can cast covetous glances at our land!!
Now, while in principle everyone talks about striving to be “good neighbours” – personally and internationally – your Eyewitness does feel we Guyanese overdo matters on this front!! Look at Suriname… most of their kicking us in the nuts is when we attend their functions that have to do with cooperating to jointly develop our economies!! Fact of the matter is that while we now have experience with pumping oil from ultra-deep-water wells, they’re only now about to begin. We don’t need them in that area – but they can benefit from our experience!! Let’s make it clear before attending any future gathering: we’re not gonna show up if they have those confounded maps. And if we do, we’ll walk out!!
Then, of course, there’s the Corentyne Bridge that we’ve jointly sponsored, and both the actual model of the physical bridge and the financial and ownership models have been decided. The bridge’s gonna span the river from our side at a point one and a half miles south of the Moleson Creek Ferry Port to the Suriname-owned Long Island and then to the eastern bank in Suriname. And financially, it’s gonna use a specific type of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement called the “Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model” (DBFOM), where the Governments don’t put up anything.
But we can withdraw our cooperation for the bridge landing on our shore if the Surinamese don’t quit with this stonewalling on the fishing licences and exorbitant ransoms for our cargo boats using the Corentyne!!
Do fuh do na obeah!!

…devastation
But with the above being said about adopting Teddy Roosvelt’s “Good Neighbour Policy” – talk softly and carry a big stick! – your Eyewitness still supports Pressie’s message of condolences to Venezuela, including our offer of material aid – along with Trinidad and Barbados. By Friday night, Venezuelan authorities had reported over 935 people dead and over 4300 injured – and possibly thousands more trapped under the rubble of at least 250 collapsed buildings – caused by those two massive 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes.
The Yanks are providing $150 million in humanitarian aid – to be channelled through “assistance” partners including Catholic Relief Services and multiple UN agencies. While the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the deployment of the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale, the littoral combat ship USS Billings and a Hercules transport aircraft.
In this way we are making a distinction between the Government and the people of Venezuela – which we must never forget!! Your Eyewitness only wishes that more neighbours of the Palestinians and Lebanese would follow suit!!

…unification?
China passed a controversial law – titled “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” – in March to create a “shared national identity” among the country’s 55 recognised ethnic minority groups. They are supposed to merge with the 91 per cent Han majority!!

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