Who is popular today?

GUYANA and Venezuela seemingly have sharply contrasting expectations of Thursday's leadership talks on the Essequibo dispute due in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
SVG Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced the talks on Saturday.
Amid Caricom's concerns to ensure this area remains a zone of peace, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali have each accepted the invitation to talks although it is unclear if an agenda has been crafted.
While Gonsalves – current chairman of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – had invited Brazil President Lula da Silva to chair the Guyana/Venezuela talks, word emerged on Monday that da Silva would be sending a representative but not attend himself.
Brazilian media house O Tempo reported, "After being invited, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not attend the meeting between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana to discuss the territory of Essequibo next Thursday.
"He appointed Celso Amorim, who is the special advisor for international affairs to the Presidency of the Republic, to represent him. The information was confirmed by sources from Palácio do Planalto (President's Office) to O Tempo in Brasília."
While Ali and other Guyanese voices have said the SVG talks must not touch on each country's rival claims to the Essequibo, a senior Venezuelan official told Newsday on Monday he expects that the talks will result in a shift in Guyana's position from seeking a resolution at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to instead bi-lateralism under the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
Ali said on Sunday at a national day of prayer, "I have made it very clear that on the issue of the border controversy, Guyana’s position is non-negotiable. That is, this is before the ICJ."
Likewise, in an earlier Facebook post on Saturday in response to Gonsalves invitation to talks in SVG, he said, "President Ali reiterated that Guyana’s land boundary is not up for discussion, as it is currently before the ICJ and, when adjudicated, will be fully respected by Guyana.
"The President, on numerous occasions, has made it explicitly clear that the case before the ICJ will not be an issue for bilateral discussions." Ali's letter of response to Gonsalves referred to "appropriate dialogue" between him and Maduro in the interest of peace.
"I will be there in answer to the call by colleague Caricom heads of Government on December 9, 2023, for appropriate dialogue between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana to ensure peaceful co-existence, the application and respect for international law and the avoidance of the use or threats of force."
Ali added, "In making that call, Caricom colleagues reasserted that they firmly support Guyana in pursuance of the resolution of its border controversy with Venezuela through the process of the ICJ and urge Venezuela to respect the conservatory measures determined by the ICJ in its recent ruling until a final resolution."
On Monday, Ali's Facebook page posted a statement by former Commonwealth secretary-general and former Guyanese cabinet minister Sir Shridath Ramphal.
"It is important that the limits of the talks in St Vincent and the Grenadines are understood.
"False expectations should not be encouraged," Sir Shridath said.
He said that with a perfect understanding that the Essequibo dispute was now before the ICJ, Caricom had urged "an appropriate dialogue" between the two leaders in SVG towards peaceful co-existence. Sir Shridath said within those parameters, Ali had responded positively to Caricom's call for talks.
"There was no call for any discussion on the Venezuelan controversy over the Essequibo region of Guyana."
The Guyana Opposition on Monday issued a statement, tweeted on Twitter/X by Guyanese journalist Nazima Raghubir, titled, "Guyana/Venezuela territorial controversy must not be discussed during President Ali/President Maduro dialogue."
However, a senior Venezuelan official speaking anonymously to Newsday on Monday reflected a different expectation of the SVG talks.
Newsday asked what outcome Venezuela wants if Ali and other Guyanese voices have said the talks must not be about the Essequibo.
The Venezuelan replied, "Our main objective is that Guyana comes back to the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
"It doesn't mean that they have to change their mind, they have to change their position. That doesn't mean that Guyana has to give up or don't give up. None of that.
"It is simply to continue talking within the framework of the 1966 Geneva Agreement. That's our main objective.
"To drop the illusion of going to the ICJ unilaterally and just sit down under the framework of the 1966 Geneva Agreement."
The official said in any negotiations, parties must be willing to explore and to compromise.
"I think it is too fast for him (Ali) to say 'I am going but I am not going to change anything'."
Newsday asked if bi-lateralism involving parity would be very hard between Venezuela, which is very advanced technologically and militarily compared to Guyana, and if Venezuela's mere presence was too intimidating to Guyana to engage bilaterally.
"No," the official replied. "Two sovereign nations in the world community. The fact that one is larger than the other...
"Both countries have been exploited and colonised, and we have gone through similar processes and so on.
"To my understanding, this is a negotiation between two countries which both claim to have legitimate rights over the Essequibo region.
"I'm not sure if I agree with the premise of your question."
The post Venezuela, Guyana officials differ on SVG meeting outcome appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.