South America: Guyana dreams of oil – and fears it

Oil discoveries off the coast are raising high hopes in little Guyana. Some already see the country as rich as Qatar. Environmentalists, on the other hand, warn of the ecological consequences – and have a chilling example in mind.

It’s a hot and humid afternoon not far from Guyana’s capital, Georgetown. It’s like the air is heavy, hot soup. A day like any other. Ranil steers his little fishing boat out into the open sea – finally a fresh breeze for him and his crew – his brother and a friend, no one is older than 27. “Mother Ocean, bless our work with fish, donate butterfish, trout, bless us us with fish. ” More spoken than sung, the young men repeat their plea for divine assistance as they cast the net. Then it’s time to wait.

Ranil’s gaze is directed into the distance. Somewhere out there, too far out to see with your own eyes, oil has been pulled from the ground since last year. More than 200,000 barrels a day. Since then, fishermen have not been allowed to approach the region. They assert, like all fishermen here, that it has become more difficult to catch fish. “I don’t know if it’s the oil drilling, but it used to take us only three days to get this boat full. Now it’s six days, seven days.”

You can’t really imagine it all yet. Your poor Guyana is said to have suddenly become extremely rich. And at the same time, their future as fishermen could be in jeopardy. Ranil’s gaze turns away from the horizon and is fixed somewhere on the light blue wooden planks of his boat. If there was an oil accident, that would be unthinkable. “What should we live on then?”

A special case in South America

Guyana is a country overlooked by the world. So far. The former British colony is an eccentric in South America. English is spoken here and you drive on the left. The majority of the population consists of descendants of Indian servants and African slaves. At least not the typical mix of indigenous peoples and people with European roots that usually prevails in Latin America. In the best case, there are 800,000 citizens who live mainly on the coast. A tiny state with big neighbors. Venezuela in the west, Brazil in the south. You have little in common with them.

The emotional connection is directed to the Caribbean islands. Guyana was poor. Its Coca-Cola-colored rivers and coasts do not attract tourists. Guyana, however, is rich in rainforest. 85 percent of the country is densely covered with tropical trees. And so the small country is of great importance to the world. Guyana is a CO2 vacuum cleaner that mitigates the environmental sins of industrialized nations.

At the same time, Guyana suffers more than few other countries from climate change. Its coasts lie below sea level and are protected by dams – dams that are already being flooded. And the prognoses for the coming decades are ominous, if global warming continues like this.

A discovery like a jackpot

Guyana was poor. But then the country virtually wins the jackpot in the lottery when the finest crude oil is found in its sea. US oil giant Exxon Mobil has been drilling for a year, and the next drillship is heading to Guyana this month to extract even more oil. The potential is enormous.

Vickram Bharrat is happy to report that it could soon be a million barrels a day. The Minister of Natural Resources stands in front of the map. There is still so much to discover. There’s probably so much more oil out there. Guyana could become one of the richest countries in the world, like Qatar. “We can transform our country, we can live a better life, we can be perceived by the world. We can achieve a standard of living like the big industrial nations.”

The government does not want to miss the opportunity for prosperity and progress despite climate change. Which industrial nation is doing that? The minister asks. “The demand for oil will not go on forever. Another 20, maybe 30 years, and then oil may be out of fashion. We have to make sure that we get enough of our resources in this short period of time. It’s only fair that we Develop our country, just as other countries in the world have done. Our people also have the right to enjoy a better life. “

Oil production – at “five to twelve” of all things?

Troy Thomas is annoyed that oil production and later combustion as gasoline mean that Guyana will for the first time also become a country that is contributing to climate change. Now, of all times, when it was already shortly before twelve. Progress, what does that mean today? Keep ruining the world? What is prosperity without a livable environment?

The 40-year-old math professor has sued the government: “Our constitution says that we as citizens have the right to live in a healthy environment. One that promotes our health. Our constitution also says that our government is responsible for that we have a healthy environment. Putting more greenhouse gases into the environment instead of removing them from the environment is in conflict with our constitution. “

On the way to Venezuela?

His four and seven year old sons run happily and loudly through their father’s office. He doesn’t believe that they will ever benefit from the oil wealth. A glance at neighboring Venezuela is enough. Rather, he fears clientelism and the enrichment of the respective ruling elites. “Those who are involved in the oil business will benefit from it. But the oil belongs to the people of Guyana. Not just a few businessmen and politicians. And if it doesn’t reach every one of us, then it shouldn’t be an economic project of ours. Me don’t believe for a second that the country will get rich. There are countries that are oil-rich and yet poor. “

Ranil’s boat sways evenly offshore. A few fish are caught in the net. After all, he got the cost of the trip out. Questions about the future make the young captain unsure. He doesn’t quite believe that the country should be rich now. At first glance, the fish that he can sell seem more tangible to him.