GUYANA-Government defends integration strategy for Venezuelan migrants.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana government has defended its integration strategy for “Venezuelan migrants,” noting that a significant number of those people were Guyanese nationals.

“Venezuelan migrant is a misnomer for most of those people. They’re Guyanese. When we say ‘Venezuelan migrants,’ it’s just a few people of the lot that came back home. These are our people; they have our blood,” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters.

Responding to criticisms from opposition legislator Amanza Walton-Desir, the Vice President told his weekly news conference on Thursday that those returning had fled the country because of the policies of the former coalition government and had “sought a better life” in Venezuela.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation held a meeting of the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee to address the influx of migrants from Venezuela. According to a press release, the ministry underscored the committee’s agenda of providing humanitarian assistance to those migrants, including returning Guyanese fleeing the economic hardships in Venezuela.

But Desir questioned this strategy, arguing that it is not in keeping with any international obligations.

However, Jagdeo told reporters that this pursuit of improved livelihood is no reason to envy those who left Guyana over the past few years. He added that they are still entitled to the same rights afforded to all Guyanese.

“So, even those who fled Guyana and their kids, who were born [abroad], are Guyanese children. Based on our constitution, they are citizens; they are eligible for citizenship here. And that’s 90 percent of them.

“We must extend some help to our people when they return here. Of course, we must ensure that all those who stay here get a great education, health, and housing. But these are our people,” he said.

Jagdeo said that the opposition legislator’s criticism of the new policy speaks to the opposition’s narrow political view and ‘elitist’ approach to development.

“You have to have a broad-based approach. You have to approach this with the view that these are all our people regardless of their color or political affiliation,” Jagdeo said, noting Guyana’s multi-ethnic population.