Intelligence Memorandum
The Guianas: Development and Discord
NNDI
THE GUIANAS: Development and Discord
ob ibe i
WA Arrwcica.l Cuyana. SonneTtm. and (he Ci,imol Venecia. th.thai bron iwli-ed and differentiated Iron Ji mainiard mghbcci by geography aad culture- EconorrJ; no have bear prlrtwJy with .metric, ol ih* North Atlanticthe Unitedandnd. political Rnicturti. and official lanjuagei of tlic areaderived from European mother countries The prir. cipal ethnic gronpi. conltirlly, (rata their origin* from Afnc* arx! Ada.
European plar.len icttled tho watt, and inh,h ceoliirlei they brought Negro dam into dM aria, Ihui dliplaetng Indiganou* Amerindian* who rebelled into Ih.nd inhwpluWc int.rior With tho abolition Ot livery1wortree. went IntioduoKl to tho Court i. pnnurily from Alia, .ri order to proved, needed 6eld Ubor.atalhe rnoM eompki ca South Amer-ard 'Kit cthnK group luirvliiMvi-.er-ii la, paincUai. have eWopedmootv,.rj flatmcrhrhere each group,tieo by thet Kri.lng tor political control ol tSe cautery.
c-.ttutal andetfrncHibl. lor theof diicord in lire Go-nai Additional dlKOfd deeivei freer iho cue rent claim* of V'eneiucla ando about TOof Cuyinal territory Tho Guyanese national elec lion, ichpdiilcd lorecember 1MB. mayood indicator of iho piotpccti (or regional a*iability
LAND
ianai occupy anft of the ettenEveen the On.-wco Valley and the Aanaioo Satin Generally heavy rainfall and high prevail throughout, arid tain for eat i>arrow eoailal lowland, border.ng thehe principal agricultural tone. At much of the lowland la below Ihe level of highn claborata lylem of dike* and ihiicei maintained to keep the tea out of tettled area* and lo drainnd. Nonagricultural land along Ihe cent it covered Willi mangrOvei, ivramp foreitj. and le.iionatly flooded loroll.
Eitendlng XInland from theroad belt of in'*itor plaint andTerrain within thi* bell variei froml In* lectori near the maiglni of lira roeitil lowland to rough, Jteeply rolling ttretchej near the bttdmieg iipUndi Deuic tropical foeal coveri moit of the belt. although lavannai occur in raoctbecn Vtau^eiaa CXoyttaa and ic toulhureitein Cuyua.
Tac-.br oplaadt n.be plain* aadiand mmMcentralpeefacuhir landacape. Deep gorgci cotargirn< tabula' rnOuMaio blocit, over wbica nillof th* hrglicel -alerfatb In tbe world. An adaU-lure of Iropieal foreit and aavanra coveti the upiaad*.
Iti the atMlhcrn parti at Cuyana. Suriraam. and French Cuiana. icnttcirrl hltlt,andrdgeialmvo fal.totolllng plaim Dome tropical loreit Rvnetally prevail* on theae louthem upland*,uvannaiInto Ihe area In loothwcalern Cuyana.
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POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
The pipjlit.on of iho Cuianatoncentrated in tbc coa*ul Ic-vland and along Iho lower ruchei of the prin-cipal riven, cacept In VaawiuaLtn Cuayaiu. where it oi
dciucit along the middle and )nw*rol Ihe flio Orinuco Tho lev ccnltrl of population in ihe inlerio: arc mostly related lo mining and imtching. Eitcniiw arcaiiic interior uv pupul.itnil onlybandi of primitive Amerind inn*
Buihhave duplactd the Am.-rind.an)Uk Maioni Alvicr and along a
few otlicr nmH in Suruum and French Ctaoox Ot-of *li*nneaped from coaxal pluMconteeecdedlectubfelMD-an African mbu! rrtlmfcey engage ui ifcj'-ia- cukimkn. hantrnf, and -Uaaag
Ttieof th* dOMnbal popibhoa *anc>
among lln Ciiianat In Vfucwurba Cua-
yjna theJor"ii>mWlyurture of Spanish arid Anwirndinn blood In Frenchreole culture,atcn'ly of Ncgroa and Mu-Utioei. I'."i' In Guynna and Surinam tin; tocia! uructutc II much mote complex became the icvcial ethnic gruiijii have net mimilatcd.
Ai'er the abolition o( ilaacfy, plantation NVgroelmoved into Ihe luwm or (armed conmuanl vil
n Guyana the majority arc now >vagc earner, and they predominate in Iheills, baiuitc mine civil kcrvlcc. and police force iind on tlx (elicitingf ktlmolt They si bo are numcroui in tho piufcibiOii h'egtoei and Mulattuci together constitutees cent of the lolal population ofv, cent ol them residing in Georgetown niti Nov Anutci dam. Meat of the rat live in the larger miningir> In vill.igd along tho cciut.
urinam th- freed Negroni and Mulnttocireaks. They no" eonirifutc aboutcom of ihe popularndCreent of iliem live iihrie they arc employed in lath blue .ii'i "lute-collar jolsi Matt of tlio*chave rrinninrilthe land are In Coronie DMrid and rjhcsiih erQp.
Small groups oiOrtegiteio attd Chine*
iwre iiwiLg tlic City indentured immigrant* lo
Ciii.iiur.won ftj theirt of indenture ended tliey generally migrated from the plantation, lo (I* village* and mlMti ctnten stid became ptddlcrimiWf themril
V$
.up iealntered tbe pro
Ir Cayaaa theiiim. vythef Indentured "olei tended to komui on thecH haodi after theU pmodi of mdciatbic but later nunyee Iiumj ud ratablahcd tticir own EomnuDilKiEnt InJjmCoag
family MilcUfiry 'id attachment to tin land Imciilugly
within tbe Lut grier.it Ion. howovur. Ihry bancwniill butincueii.iixl tha ptuKvito'rio No* tliey compete wiiltfn moil nikiamlo netiritivi Tlwy Iwyc. iicvveitidcii.cliiiiwHywck'lyeIkiiiI iS percent ol tlw loulIhcy nte mulilplylng (arte* tlun ihe Negroo! Rural village* lende predominantly Bait Itxhan ot Negro, nonehiiirally purr.
Io Sumun the EaW IncVant. or llaidujtarai. sni.ed ben thaa they did in Cvyana. Following the abandon-bom ofOf the pUarfaneoi. they tarard lo tin tLhiiatiofi. and the pea*new own ot rent mall ncc Ira IWtewlly. atgniflrint numbm of rMerprinojr. iT'"' Into the Paramaribo mrtropoL-
Bin area and purchaml ilnpi and grainy Jtotciaic alio miti:iing prtvatu limn andIn inttmahig nuinlnm. Coiiipiiiirig aboutof tlw SiitinameHi popululliin, il.cbeginning lo chiillongeW Crivlei
The IndoncMain >Oiit inayar group ol in-
'jr*cri Id t'ntrr Surinam CtonumiiuUt. tl-.j
are at tbr bottom of tlworking un tlv plant* liora and cukivatiagwn mal |iluta of rkeorho ubsuieacr tnajn.lifythnriy liwi aadigh ohac onlnirg Op*aJtti* Iwhamui (Mnuihip. nodrecluded Iron holdingurTiit orwjc cteeaow Irdonetnm eoBUdotc IS potm of the total population of Surinam ami I'lOutenem of them Uvg in rural tcttlemoiti
Id French Gutinaenult ol the population hici Along the eo.itt,crcinl vl tlx: ptoplv ;ru cot'tcnt ratedCaywinc Aim million lu'ie lui Iwii much nwtie mrceiiful llkin Inul. In I.. .ivannnt Iwe rn'or p< niiKJinili'i' tlic grotiry
Secret
and (he Lebanese control ihe dry goods business. Mary Creoles are employed in ihe civil service and ir. various industrial, service, and commercial occupations,hrimp processing and lumbering- Others are self-emp.oyed in subsiiienee "gricu'tere. aibii.g, plates mining, and oven bunling.
ECONOMY
e imooct of ,p, however, npntcnieewaiy in-urkcts, and During the asidcrahto.
The CviaiMf, with ihe eaeepnoo ol Trench Guiana, are emergingependence on (he esporl Of*products and
ti; rials and goods.r
manufacti they face prob diversified ecoapltal cssenti piil decade
especially in Vcnei.iclan Cuayana where the Corporation Vcnczolana de Cuayana. an autonomous regionalauthority, has embarked upon the Cuayana llegion Economic Development Program. Accomplishments to dale include conttiufionarge hydroelectric power, plan I, an integrated stec! mill, an aluminum smelter, and an urban center at Ciudad Cuayana. In French Guiana the population is not large enough to develop the country's resources or lo provide an adequate market for mass-produced consumer goods.oderate standard of living is maintained only by imports and by French economic support. Even here,mall local boom, associated with Ihe construction of the French National Space Research Center al Xirou. is being eipcrienced.
Agriculture
Asrriculture tn the Guianas ii concentrated on etnpol-dered tracts along the coastal lowland. The heavy sflt and clay soils have relatively high natural fertility and produce moderate to high crop yields when drained and properly managed. The lateritic soils ol Iho interior are generally Infertile, and much nt the land Is Inaccessible. Scattered fertile areas of the interior undoubtedly will be farmed wlajn access road) arc constructed,ew areas of low natural fertility may be brought into production when ihe use cf ierttliiers becomes economically feasible. In the near future, however, the interior is unlikely to sup* port agricultural settlementufficiently large scale to relieve the growing population pressure on the coast
Venetuelan Cuayana. The only important commercial cropice, grown In the Orinoco Delta. Cludnddependence on distant source* for food wi;|with the completion oi the 'argeicale landand agricultural development projectin the Orinoco Delta.
Cuyana. There arearge sugar plantations, all con-trolled by two British firms. These enterprises have been si^oceuful. despite iho considerable expense of maintaining drainage and irrigation systems, largelylindho'dings have been consolidated arid advanced technology has been adopted. Bice, grown principally on small holdings by East Indian farmers, is Cuyni*as seeord most important crup and one that supports more people, directly cc indirectly, than any other- Theassisted by USAID, is now rcocgariiring and modemiving the nee industry.
Surinam. Rice occupies aboutercent of Ihelsnd andhe primary cipcit crop. It is grown most'y by Hindustani) and Indonesians on small to medium-sire farms, however, the Government-financed Wageningen estate, which li mechaniml. accounts for aVoot JO pert-enl ol total production and moat of the
French Guiana. There are no eipOrtnd food representedercent, by value, ol all importshe small amount of sugarcane grown is used exclusively for the production of rum. Subsistence agriculture is practiced byamilies.
Dairy farming is being introduced to the Upata region of Verierjejri Cuayana and Is already practiced in areas adjacent to urban centcri In Cuyu.-iu and Surinam, lice:
rc grazed on ihe lavonnat In Guyana andof lU Rio Orooco In Veneeuelm Cuijaru Al-though rht grna^-adt of Cryaaaoor ornttf apart) am! of the treat, meat produced in th*ii derived Com herd, grated there. .Sincei. generally laelung. bcelin the MMebch/ lo the Georgetown aauLet
Mining and Mineral Proceuing The Guiana, aie no" yieldirg many valuable nunc. ah.
The geutogy ItiJn^ITih^gn^'dLn^ and voriuu. geologic formationi can be correlated Inmi one couolry to theFuture lurvey. .III undoubledly meal acVLtkanal ennvni ^ift^mtt li ilmnMrnilUide, hi of th. vaneu, ruseral hearm* rormaborn.ver, ate not prcenr In each ol theormation, which contain, th- very rkh Iron deposit, an Veneauoiaa Cuay.aa, doe. not and ato Guyana aad the What* Staid formation,h the hlghgrade bauafte dcpoiit. in Guyana and Sannam. doe* iwt otend Intoela. Neverllielrai, ihe antic ipalioe. ofof nth depoalti maypted. ia part. tb. rekndhng of territorial daapw,,
ielan Cuayana. High-gradeeing mined at Cerro BM.t, anj hihe CovetMaent plaaa Urge-Kale ciptxilktn of thek,. Small amount, of mangancai: ore have been catractedpaU. where the Government hopet lo develop minei to lupply Ihe Orinocol
portao arefaor.f gold aad da..
mondi in th* Caroni. Paragua. and Cuyuni Baiuu, andvein, and lode, are being mioedtie io th. El CalUo area
Tho large avneralmawlir. Cuayaaa.an abundant hydroelectric powerthe availability of oil and gai tuppUci. andaa lap. naive reuurr*
baae fo. the developraea. program of the Corporaewn VenemLiiu dc Cuayana.
Guyana. Bau.it. and alumina account lorercent, by value, of the eurarral output of Cuyana. Among -aha haaaite producer! Cuyana now rank, fourth m
output The principal mine, are located atlliini. but other, aru wealed at Kwakwani. . -a
ba-aft.j plantl.arl mine, are drying and narukweHng fadlitle. itManganaw Ore hai been rn.ned at Matthew, llidgc. buthere .inhe ore Ii ol eWy raa.gaaa] otremol vaioe Cold and duaaoad rnham. Lnown>rfc.eek th. -fluvial wad* of the iiiturwr Olfnirvcy. of the cotuUle-Ith little Micro, but ihore la hope of ducovoiiagi on the conFiacouI ArAL
Surtriam. For wme time Surinam hai been tho world'. RCWdauvt. .uppllcr. The pruiei|ial complex, at Paranam.annl. ore proccailng pbof.ikm nfiaorv. aad aoaer. Ceherproceumg plant, arc at Moengo and SuralEalcnilvi: luuu'lc leii'tici have liuun dinuvireilifte Adainpada-Kabakao area ol ihe Ba.hui. Ceve-ilcnd plans fee devr^plog aa aaocgraled ahrni.rMn. complei ihere are well advanced. Ccd mg lentcrxidhe upr.or Lawa Valley it the only orhci aigniEcarM rrnning tell.lty. OH.hore and orahoreut hai had attic wwu
Fremh Guiana Gold and bamiln ilrponlioUnah gold ha. been produced u, the pail ar vaiJ>ui interior Htei. only ihem.rdirpoited loprration Tlw fvtur*bauUtc derwvti in th*near the
ooiit. huge. bpon tho conwrutiion of anew roadieepwatcr pod
Koratr* mi FiJ.Bg
Each Ol the Cuaanai haj eiteniii. loreifhe uxploilalkm olindcrerl by tho relative inac-eeulbility ol manyhe thinol com -emalml th- mmada aado t* oenaeructed al CtocUd Cuayaru to proceaiensive lotcmrcei inCiu.ana.are tiploUed in ihe eoiily aeeenibk' area -ear. Covana aadarady beh northac. Surmsin. In French CuUna.ne of the inoto imiMir'.iM irvluitrlei.
A variet, of tah are caught off the coaitoan^rwd locaty. hot atoaWatorge-town. Paramjr.bo. Saint-Unreal, and Cayenneort.
Trautoortatioa
roadcioair tran.cortaiwnhe
cv=nt mailing and delay, development ol th. interior.
In Cuyana. Surinam, and French Cularu. only the dcudy aopeaatod pins ceaad fhe la^crrbyetwork of pa-ed or graded mm. In nnrtheattern Veneiuelnnrwreroadink, ae-tled agricultural andaay-n.ad Bolivar, and theaeurn, to the natwnaj road network north of the Wo Orinoco
iw-rii abort. mmMmmm mmm line, eoi-nctt
-Wh premaaag piam. aad port. On.', the ceaatal Cuyana can handletrafSe .n
voliimo.
natural walerwaph* coaaul Wtand. but rapid, and laai interrupeldle and epper counei ol nvcra IMNaj .ho live along tboc reoehci arc tUllcd boaimen, howevor. and ran navigateout, Through ddEcuk 1.
Air tiampon ha. beecanc the oacal praenca) mean, ol [ramporting people and cargo from the coutorlor. Thedvanced tarbajt and air laciliiw. of the area are ia Cuyana. where there are many autfnp. in the uartno. opatte of hWfcr, DOT*
Power
The riucn of ihe Menorich pMenhal
an remote Iroin urban arid miningc'ucla ha. caccl^nt iltei on iho ItwCJaroni. near CiudwJ Cuayana Inlant ha. Imuled capacity of owe JTTJCOJ iuk-nd the Irw Mage af the Gun
dam ,nd hydruelectneprowel .IIIupocity
WGuyana ku vetwaajto in hydroelectric rcaounM. but the Government plan, lo eon.jdrocWetrv- pawnplanlibeAu Fal. oa the Maaan*lummumgree to coo, itruH an aluminum .metier. In Surmnm the DrokoiKindo ptoiectang eupaciry ollowait. The Ccer^er, ofhrnnnum compmic. for the coeBtruetiondroelectrlc 'neihly on iho Kabalebo flim.
POtlTKAL SCFME
Of the Cuianai. only Guyana and Surinam ftinctlonauionoinou.rriitic. and Surinim hai only in-haaVJ tuto-ornvn independrn; member of
NND
the Britishh; Surinamoccual member ol the Kingdom cf the Netherlands French Cusana li an Overseas Department of the Republic cf Frincc; and Venezuelan Cuayanathin Vcnerucla thot, until very recently, war almost completely undeveloped and apart frorn the reit of the country. While structurally different in political organization and nilcguncc. they share throughommon resource base, and the continued economic advancement of the areahole Is dependent on Ihe maintenance of political and social stability.
The political structure of Cuyana and Surinam, like iho occupational structure, eleOrly reftccis the differentia, lion of tho population according lo race. Tho effect of strong racial identification and loyalty uponitical dy-nfunics It particularly evident in Guyana, "here partys determined almost exclusively bv race. Each of the two main racial groups inNegroes find the Eos;disliked the possibility ofits way ol life dominated by the other, moreover, since the2 riots, each actually fcors physical violence at the hands of the other.
The; forthcoming CuyonOe- electionon-ten between ihrce ma'or political paitio Tinas partyIn power, the People's National Congress (PNC) fed by Forbes Burnham. ison-Communist Negro party, whose mass support is derived from urban war'icti and elements of the Negro middle class. The principal opposition pony, the Pimple's Progressive Partya basically an Cast Indian rural parly supported matisly by sugar workers aivd rice farmers. Small numbers nf Negro farm laborers and tonic urii.ir. Negroand extremist) also support the PPP. Led by pro-Communist Cheddi Jagan. tho PPP is considered the"-est Itomogcncout. and Iks! oignnUcd party in Guyana. This mm* oflndun> support Jagan becausen East Indian and not because they share
he third major party, the United Fnrces largely an urban.arty of the center right It is bupportcd prima illy by Ihe conservative middle and upper cluttet. consisting mainly of Portuguese,and East Indian buslnottmendd tec lass Negro professionab. Tlic UK also counts on the tupporl of the Amcriidiani Since the bloc0 or moec Amerindian votctargeote electon,tiesKsve ailamptcd lo attiac the Amerindian rote Stwntnai coMtoai liar electoral machinery in Cuyana and thoald be able to prevent the PPP Iron wieatiog tire rltcttom.
Tb> pcijaeai lata, ta .,
henfolrang Guyana, Veraeraeb, andVrnerteta culm all of (fat Easeqobo area ofterr.tory >nt of Ihe Catespiiboand Surinam ctaimi the territory in toutheattern Coyaru be-the Koranand the New River.
The Venezuelan claim ehalltngo Ihe arbitralof the 1SW Pirn Com million, which filed the pies-ent boundary.eneiueln ruveritd it*laot approval nnd proclaimed that Ihe arbe'lral award resultedraudulent deal" between the British and Kutaian member] of the boundary liibunil and was ihcro-farc null snd void. In February IfiBB. ntiied commi)Wanp to dWun the dispute ft hai metimesaoapt for sepolitical unci, hai achieved no eoocccte reaulti Vtnemebmin the laa) year rar an lacfudehe occopatiO" of the border lalaad of Anloko. half offaiancd by Gayana. t) aa> alarged attempt to tubvert Guyana's Aiaoriod-aata thearcs.lag that mycotterauom granted aa forcipi tern) by the Gusjfme Coventinewt in the Emcquibo area would -ict be rcconr'ifod.ha (nuance ol adecree c'jiming theillei of 'err.ton.il sea twi.cn the J- and ll-mito limiti aO ibeoast. The hitett ictaion of llvo miied cmsnilssian looV placeenerally culm atmotphcrc lh.it did indicate aolf of ihe potentially mptativq situation
erritorial dispute with Suiiurn tclatrt to the beat ion ol theaters of lha Courantyne River The boutainryacountreei haieen formally ocjrnitad. but for many yuan the left baak of the Courantyne River hai been iiirprrd at conilitutmg the tiuuiulary lor upptoiimatcly SOU miles southward Irani the cowl The dilpulf hinges on the determination ol ninthShaents of thel conKi-tuaea Ki headwateri Geography auppeeb the Netherlands' cJairn lor the New River, while Iand legal pree-edentite the Brittih and Cuyar-ese poll Hon favoring ihe Kuloii River.
ue it km ofuhi; ot oHitOte caldapeeMt that may eiit ai tha aaoath ef theB-ver. The division of the tea, that a. the roiatincntal ihelf eitendmg outward from Spcinglandi, Cay ana, Ii In dls putt. The Dutch claim thai tho boundary should run mere or leu- itraight out from Spriaglandi. while the Guyanesethat la accordance with generally recogiliec modem methodsieuhe Irae shooVidiiUnf from the nearest point in both cotinthei. lln* dii-puled aren iitiangular piece ol tea wilh the apei at Spiinglandi.
The disputeSurinam and Ceyiaa weeinhen Guyanese pol.eeurinamese hydrogiaphic team lium the contested area between the New und Kutari Riversountries threatened to use force lo advance their claEai. butuncunoru have now reduced the temicai. The protiiactieaceful icttlemcnl ire good.ompromiic arc:n exchange by Guyina ol moil of tbe duputed territory for eJeclrimy from Sarsnam'i prelected Kihelebo hydaackctric powerpiint orto the boundary from the krft bank af the Courantyne Riveridstream channel, which would permit Guyana to use tlic tivci for navigation and flirting.
SUMMING UP Each of the Coiarias, caccpc. lee Ereatch Guiana, hat idvanotd ecoaoeaicely an the leceeat peat. The Cruded Cuayana iceaoun in Venezuelan Ceayana hai been, pet-hapi, the mow spectacular achievement ol all Theot wltloui problomi, hrwevrr. ino failure lo attract sew indaitryrapidly is anticipated haa resulted in unamployrauit and axial rjnbfeaH among the man of newly amved people
Frrncli Guiana hatiychoiogital lift wilh the development of tho Nalional Space Research Center on litevertheless, it ii itill baileeountryiable econoety Pmc-pal.Hlciaat neeaalMlen to develop resources oronsumer market
Surinam hai enjoyed relative political liability arid hai attracted (liable Inveitmenri in induilrv Plana are well advanced toward uuturatg the huge Aafcv^padi-Ksbubo reoaet The thi H'lous cLerneel of pcwcihal pohiaralacial rcnaion between ihe Creole* and tlicho laiier have becoma moie oggruiiivo in recent yearse more imlmeij ta elullenge Creole domination of Sor.aam'i political Lie. Moderate ele*ncnti among both group* arc cceacerned that any renewal of communal strife In neighboring Cuyana may uanlepcrcuiiioni In Surinam, where ciientlilly tlae lamo ingredients lor unrew eaiit.
The Bumham euktqn govcewnert ha> nude progresstbeean toward revering natcrnaluyana and promoting economic development. Under Uunijiam'iiatiorul rathernet.il np. pruach to Guyana! problems hai been stressed II the PNC wins the cbcMoei. ai eapntled. the prospccti are relatively good Eat continuacg order aad economicNcvcrrhrlcii. the underlying bases foe racial and politicul discard remain.
Original document.
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