AG defends Govt stance, slams AFC remarks on border issue
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall has delivered a sharp rebuke of the Alliance for Change (AFC) recent statements regarding the government’s handling of the Guyana–Venezuela border controversy.
The Attorney General’s response followed accusations from AFC leader Nigel Hughes, who alleged that the government has been deceiving the public by withholding critical information about the status of the border matter.
Hughes went further, blaming the government for a recent attack on a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) patrol unit along the Cuyuni River and, claiming that the administration’s approach has made Guyana vulnerable to military threats.
Minister Nandlall firmly defended the government’s carefully measured response to the ongoing border dispute.
“The government of Guyana’s approach is informed by intelligence and the advice of experts. We have a large body of experts advising the government on these matters, and we are fed a lot of intelligence which impacts the positions that we take,” the minister stated during his weekly programme, “Issues in the News.”
The Attorney General pointed out that Guyana’s handling of the situation has received high praise from regional and international bodies.
“These are matters of national security. Our position is lauded by the important international agencies and by our strategic partners — at CARICOM, in the OAS, at the level of the Commonwealth, at the United Nations, and by important governments across the region, North America, and Europe,” Nandlall noted.
The Attorney General did not mince words when he described the AFC as “incapable of making any intelligent assessment of our posture,” citing both their lack of understanding and past political pronouncements as evidence.
Nandlall also took aim at Hughes’ credibility, questioning his motives in light of his legal representation of an American company involved in proceedings related to Venezuelan assets.
“This guy is currently representing an American company that is seeking, through legal proceedings, to enforce an award granted against certain Venezuelan companies and the Venezuelan government,” Nandlall said.
“He wants a Guyana court to give an American company the authority to take from the Guyanese treasury monies that have been earmarked for Venezuela. He doesn’t see that as endangering our national integrity and sovereignty, but he issues a statement attacking the government’s approach,” the minister of Legal Affairs added.
Despite his strong condemnation of the AFC’s criticisms, the Attorney General said that the government of Guyana remains open to working constructively with the official opposition, led by Aubrey Norton, on issues of national importance.
