The world is a different place than it was even 12 months ago, columnist Greg Quinn said as he pointed readers back to an opinion he published last year on relations between Guyana and Venezuela. On 25 September of the previous year Quinn wrote in Stabroek News and in Oil Dorado an article explaining why he believed Guyana should not appease Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro; the piece, titled "Guyana – Venezuela: A delicate balancing act," first appeared in Stabroek News.
Quinn’s commentary drew attention to the position he articulated at that time, framing it as a deliberate argument against accommodation with Venezuela’s government under Maduro. The article was carried by two outlets, reflecting the columnist’s effort to reach multiple audiences with his analysis of the diplomatic stance he recommended for Guyana. The title signaled his view that the relationship between the two countries required careful management, and his publication in Stabroek News placed the piece in a forum read for commentary on regional matters.
By invoking the passage of a year and declaring the world changed, Quinn signaled that he sees developments since his September column as relevant to the topic he addressed. He has not issued additional material in this notice beyond directing attention to his earlier article; the September column remains the record of the argument he advanced against appeasing Venezuela and Maduro. Readers interested in the details of his reasoning are pointed to that original piece for the full exposition of his case.
The publication of the September article in both Stabroek News and Oil Dorado underscores the role of opinion columns in public discussion of foreign policy questions affecting Guyana. Quinn’s approach—setting out a clear recommendation and publishing it in outlets with different readerships—illustrates a common journalistic practice of using column space to influence debate and inform public judgment. The fact that Quinn is revisiting the column’s relevance a year on suggests he sees continuing public interest in the issue he raised.
What comes next has not been publicly detailed by Quinn beyond his statement that circumstances have changed since he wrote the column. For readers and observers, the earlier article provides the specific arguments he made last September; any reassessment or further commentary from Quinn would be needed to understand whether his recommendations remain the same in light of whatever developments he alluded to. Until then, the September 25 piece stands as his published position urging against appeasement of Venezuela and Maduro, initially appearing in Stabroek News and subsequently carried in Oil Dorado.