GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana on Sunday launched a GUY$200 million (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) shade house project under the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme along the Essequibo Coast even as Venezuelans were voting in a referendum to determine ownership of the mineral and forest-rich county.
President Irfaan Ali surrounding by young people during the commissioning of the project (DPI Photo)President Irfaan Ali, speaking at a ceremony to lunch the initiative, sought to re-assure residents of the Essequibo region that his administration will continue to build the region for a sustainable future.
“Today, as we confront this challenge, let us not slow the momentum of building our country. Let us not slow the momentum of investing. Have no fear with your investments, because we are working to ensure that your investments are secure,” Ali said.
He told the ceremony that the Essequibo region holds tremendous for Guyana and that it is not only rich in natural resources, but also plays a critical role in national food production.
Under the project, the authorities will construct a hydroponics shade house, to advance Guyana’s vision of supplying the the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region with healthy, high-quality food, mainly fresh vegetables.
The government said it will also employ 200 youths from the region and will enable farmers to target high-value crops.
“If you look at what we are trying to create here, with lettuce, for example, we will add to our national production close to 40,000 pounds of lettuce…If you look at that, at the current market prices, you are talking about revenue of close to GUY$10 million from lettuce alone in this facility,” President Ali said.
He said, additionally, the facility is expected to generate a projected annual revenue of over GUY$65 million for the Essequibo region by its second year.
“We are building our Essequibo strong, resilient and sustainable. We are investing in our Essequibo because this is our homeland, and our investment in Essequibo is important in taking Essequibo forward, and building it stronger.
“We, in Guyana, are mobilising the people of Essequibo for the future, to ensure that you have food security,” President Ali told the ceremoy on Sunday.
Earlier, during an broadcast at 2.00 am (local time), Ali urged the Venezuelan government to “show maturity and responsibility” as Caracas went ahead with its plans for a “consultative referendum” regarding the ownership of the Essequibo.
Ali said that Caracas should avoid becoming an international outcast” and not to go ahead with the referendum.
“I am not going to get into the internal politics of Venezuela and their policy-making but I want to advise Venezuela that this is an opportunity for them to show maturity and an opportunity to show responsibility.
“We call upon them once more to join us, to join us in demonstrating maturity and responsibility and to allow the rule of law to determine the outcome of this controversy,” Ali said.
But as he cast his ballot at a military base in Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro said “today we are voting as Venezuela in just one colour, one feeling.
“Our vote is for Venezuela to be respected,” Maduro told reporters.
On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Venezuela must not take any action to seize the Essequibo in Guyana based on its upcoming referendum.
Both Georgetown and Caracas had made presentations to the ICJ during two-days of hearing earlier last month into the case relating to the 1899 Arbitral Award after Guyana, in its request, had said that the Venezuela government, through its National Electoral Council had published a list of five questions that it intends to put before the people of Venezuela in a “Consultative Referendum” on Sunday.
In its ruling, the ICJ issued a number of provisional measures that “unanimously pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Cooperative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area”.
The ICJ said also that “unanimously both parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve.
“The court emphasizes that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the court to decide at the merits stage.
