No sanctions yet on Guyana: EU ambassador

The European Union has not started considering sanctions for Guyana as yet, as there are still hopes that the ongoing political situation can be resolved democratically.

This was stressed yesterday by Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Fernando Ponz- Cantó.
The official was a guest on the popular Elections/COVID-19 Watch on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5fm yesterday being hosted by Senior Journalist Leonard Gildarie and Dr. Yog Mahadeo.

Asked pointedly whether the EU is considering sanctions on Guyana, after the tabulation process for general elections held on March 2nd ran into hurdles when the Opposition claimed that the process was fraudulent, the Ambassador said it is too early.

There have been several court matters, and a recount process is scheduled to commence as early as this week.
At the moment, it has been eight Mondays since the elections, with no recognized declarations that will pave the way for a president to be sworn in. There have, however, been two controversial declarations of Region Four which have both been challenged successfully in court by the Opposition.
Ponz Cantó explained that the relation between the EU and Guyana is based on what is called the Cotonou Agreement, which is also the framework between the EU and 79 countries from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

It was pointed out that the agreement is based on fundamental principles.
The agreement allows for suspension provisions to be invoked if the principles are not fulfilled.
According to the Ambassador, who was speaking via Zoom, one such principle is democracy.
One sanction could be a suspension of cooperation with Guyana.
Ambassador Ponz Cantó said that the EU has slapped sanctions on a number of countries in Africa, with himself involved directly in a number of cases.

The EU also slapped sanctions on Haiti, a Caribbean territory.
“If there is a breach of democracy, we will have to do it, because we are bound by those provisions.”
He stressed that cooperation is one area that can be affected.
The EU has been funding a number of projects, including in the power sector, with the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
“We have a huge amount of cooperation with Guyana. I would hate it personally to see that interrupted.”
Asked if the EU has any submissions at all on sanctions, Ambassador Ponz-Cantó insisted that he comes with a message of hope.

“The story is not yet finished…it is not the time yet to put forward this proposal, because this situation can still be remedied democratically.”
He explained that if not resolved democratically, then the EU has always the duty and determination to act according to principles that are “shared”.
In fact, he said that like the US, Britain and Canada, the EU has sanctions which include the freezing of assets and visa suspensions.

“Again, this is something that we don’t like to use; that I don’t like to use.”
Ponz Cantó was one of the ambassadors who walked out last month from the Ashmin’s building where the tabulation process for Region Four was suspended after questions about the process.
(See the full interview on: https://www.facebook.com/kaieteur.radio/videos/2905303309564542/)