Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn today said Venezuela’s planned referendum on Guyana’s Essequibo region which is expected to take place on Sunday, is a dangerous political stunt by the Nicolas Maduro Administration.

He believes it is intended to whip up support ahead of the country’s General Elections in 2024.

 The Maduro administration has been facing fierce opposition from 56-year-old Maria Corina Machado who is the leader of the Venezuelan Opposition. She is against the referendum.

In a live interview with the President of the National Youth Parliament Association of Antigua and Barbuda, Kamalie Mannix this afternoon, the Home Affairs Minister said it would appear that the Venezuelan President is capitalizing on the aged-old controversy to increase his popularity ahead of the elections.  

“I think it is more of a political stunt in some way but a dangerous one in respect of understanding movements with the polity, with the voting population in Venezuela to whip up enthusiasm [and] nationalistic feelings over the situation…to create issues and hopefully support when it comes to the real elections in Venezuela,” Minister Benn reasoned.

However, while he is of the opinion that the referendum is a “stunt”, Minister Benn said Guyana is taking nothing for granted.

“But that’s not to say that there aren’t dangers for us or that they would not try something which is beyond that the political stunt, nationalistic political stunt, which would benefit the Chavismo movement. And that’s the way we are viewing it but it has its dangers,” Minister Benn said.

He said he believes another motivating factor behind the referendum, is the mineral resources found in the Essequibo Region.

The Home Affairs Minister noted that Guyana will not surrender its territory. He reminded that the issue regarding the controversy remains before the International Court.

The Court will hand down a ruling tomorrow on Guyana’s request for provisional measures to block a number of questions related to the border controversy that are listed in the Venezuelan referendum.

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