All is Not Well in Georgetown: Guyana?s Emerging Hemispheric Role
? Guyana and Venezuela?s longstanding territorial dispute: the ?frozen conflict,? which is asleep for now and hopefully forever
? Will Guyana?s Jagdeo become Washington?s new best friend on the continent?
The latest confrontation between Venezuela and Guyana, which indisputably took place on Guyanese territory, has reminded Washington that Guyana exists and that complexities abound for the long troubled nation which is located in one of the South America?s hot spots. The recent clash, which briefly revived the border dispute long bedeviling the two nations?, has pushed Washington into approaching Georgetown in a less cautious, and more engaged, effort in order to gain its friendship at the hoped for expense of Washington?s most determined regional adversary, Hugo Chavez. The recent meeting between Guyanese and American military officials over defense issues may very well put Guyana?s weakened leader, President Bharrat Jagdeo ultimately in an untenable position where he may have to reluctantly pick sides, even though most specialists dismiss the recent Georgetown visit of high U.S. naval officials as nothing more than a coincidence involving a long-scheduled event.
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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Fellow: Alex Sanchez