PM Mottley warns of threat to security in the region and potential impact on Guyana’s prosperity
As oil revenues reshape its skyline and its future, Guyana has become the world’s economic “exceptional bright spark.” But a rising tide of regional instability threatens to crack the very foundation of this newfound prosperity.
In a recent virtual address to the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GGCI), Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley delivered a powerful and timely warning. She cautioned that economic prosperity is inextricably linked to the security and stability of the entire region.
Prime Minister Mottley’s primary argument challenges a long-held perspective on national development. She contends that the old mindset of treating security as a necessary cost while pursuing economic growth as the eventual reward is “outdated and possibly dangerous.” This approach, she suggests, is no longer viable in the modern world.
Instead, she proposes a critical paradigm shift: security must be viewed as the foundational investment required for any economic future to exist. Without a stable environment, the promise of prosperity becomes an illusion. This reframes security from a budget line item into the very bedrock of national and regional progress.
“In the current era of our Caribbean civilization, security is not cost. It is in fact the greatest investment that we can make in our economic future for the wellbeing of our citizens, because without stability, prosperity is a mirage.”
For a suddenly wealthy nation, this presents a critical challenge. The allure of spending oil revenue on tangible infrastructure and immediate social programs is immense. Mottley’s message is a stark reminder that prioritizing foundational stability over more visible gratification is the most crucial, if difficult, decision leaders must make to protect the boom for the long term.
According to Mottley, the concept of security cannot be limited to domestic issues like crime or the presence of “men and women in uniform.” True security in today’s interconnected world is a far broader concept that stretches “across borders, with regional and global implications.”
This isn’t an abstract theory; it’s a present reality. Her comments were made against a backdrop of escalating tension, with the US heaping pressure on Venezuela through strikes on suspected narco vessels—actions which the source notes resulted in over 80 deaths—and the seizure of an oil tanker. These events illustrate how external pressures and conflicts can directly threaten the stability of the entire region.
This shift—from seeing security as a domestic police matter to a regional geopolitical challenge—is precisely why Mottley argues that the solution cannot be found within Guyana’s borders alone.
Mottley emphasized the importance of the Caribbean as a “zone of peace.” She clarified that this does not mean the region is free from domestic crime, but rather that it maintains a collective commitment to prevent conflicts between its nations and to resist external pressures that could compromise its stability.
“…it makes the point that as a region we do not want to be in conflict with each other or others to be in conflict in our region, such that our ability to live a fair and dignified life, and prosperous life is compromised.”
This vision of regional solidarity is not presented as a mere “diplomatic legacy” or a feel-good ideal. It is framed as a crucial strategy for survival and shared prosperity. By standing together to uphold the rule of law and defend against threats, Caribbean nations protect their collective ability to build prosperous societies.
“We must recognise that our solidarity is not merely a diplomatic legacy, it is a fundamental act of economic self-preservation.”