Opposition shut out of Guyana’s preparedness/ strategy in aftermath of Maduro’s capture
All parliamentary opposition parties in Guyana have issued statements lamenting the gravity of circumstances in the Region following the capture of Venezuelan Dictator, Nicolas Maduro by the United States of America.
Early Saturday morning, the Donald Trump regime invaded Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife. The two were then taken to the US.
We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) all issued statements calling for the Guyanese masses to be in the know about Guyana’s preparedness for any eventuality that may result from Maduro’s capture. WIN and APNU particularly called on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government to meet with the opposition so that a joint approached can be formulated.
But these calls have fallen on deaf ears. The government did not seek consultation with any of the opposition parties before the statements were issued. And maintained its posture after.
Guyana Standard spoke with WIN Leader, Azruddin Mohamad who said that he has not received any word from the Government of Guyana. He indicated that even though he made the call for a joint approach, he was not surprised at the lack of response because, “that is how Irfaan and them operate.”
Guyana Standard made attempts to contact PNCR leader Aubrey Norton who issued a statement earlier, but efforts proved futile. This publication was however able to speak with APNU parliamentarian, Terrence Campbell, who said that as far as he knows, no response was given to APNU or PNCR. Guyana Standard also spoke to APNU’s Ganesh Mahipaul. He confirmed that he has been in communication with Norton who indicated that the call for collaboration has so far been ignored.
In a statement earlier today, Norton said that Guyana finds itself in a very precarious position and needs to think and act strategically.
He called for inclusive decision making with the involvement of all stakeholders in pursuance of national unity in the face of a potential emergency and stressed, “there is need for an approach that transcends partisan politics.”
Further, Norton stated, “We stand ready to lend our full support to the promotion and protection of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We offer our cooperation in developing legislative measures, mobilizing community-based support networks, and providing bipartisan political backing for the necessary resource allocations to protect both vulnerable people and our nation’s stability.”
Mohamed, in his statement, said the removal of Maduro “fundamentally alter[s] the geopolitical and security environment in which Guyana operates. This moment demands national unity, institutional maturity, and responsible leadership.”
Further, the WIN leader said in circumstances such as these, “no responsible government governs alone. Yet the Guyana government has chosen a path of unilateralism. It has refused to meaningfully engage the Opposition on matters of national security and effectively sidelined Parliament. This deliberate exclusion undermines Guyana’s ability to present a coherent, national response to a regional crisis.”
