“The ‘Georgian Dream’ must be removed, and we must sit by the geopolitical river and fish for a huge catch! Our time has come! The flourishing of Iberia is no longer a mythically colored pathos,” reads a letter by Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, currently imprisoned, which was published on his social media page.

In the circulated letter, Nika Gvaramia reviews the current political situation in the world and in Georgia.

“As for ongoing developments, the main issue remains the poisoning of Georgian citizens by the regime. At the same time, look at the situation in Georgia and compare it to Venezuela - the main events are fully aligned:

Illegitimate government - Neither Maduro’s regime nor our ‘Dream’ authorities were recognized, thanks to our citizens, active groups, civil society organizations, critical media, and political parties. The starting point of this was the opposition’s refusal to enter parliament.

A black hole in the system of autocratic regimes - Venezuela serves Cuba (which would also collapse easily without Venezuelan oil), while we serve Russia as a route for sanction circumvention and Iran as a large-scale money-laundering channel.

Political prisoners, mass violence, crackdowns, and the poisoning of one’s own citizens (emphasis on poisoning).

Growing emigration - In both Venezuela and Georgia, about a quarter of the population has left the country. And it’s not only labor migration; in recent years, successful and educated professionals have begun leaving as well - often with their families.

A thieving regime - Not only the seizure of the state’s main resources, but their outright destruction in favor of others’ geopolitical and economic interests and orders. In Venezuela’s case, Russia is interested in high oil prices; therefore, the price of supporting Maduro’s regime was the destruction of Venezuela’s oil industry. After Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s return to the oil market in the medium term would significantly reduce oil prices, which would amount to a practical collapse of Russia’s oil-based economy.

In Georgia’s case, the exact same effect would be produced by the Anaklia Port, which would offer an alternative to the currently sole major port on the eastern Black Sea coast - Novorossiysk - which, due to the lack of alternatives, generates tens of billions in revenue annually (not only the port itself, but the entire infrastructure from Central Asia to the Black Sea). With Anaklia in place - especially if Georgia is an EU member - the significance of Novorossiysk would be virtually nullified not only for Central Asia but even for the Far East. Russian Railways would lose massive cargo turnover, which would be redistributed to Georgia and Turkey (via the Trans-Caspian route).

In reality, the alphabet of Russian ‘predation’ is money and interests - not the traditional narrative that Putin considers Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Central Asia as his own. It is cold economic calculation; the rest is propagandistic fiction. The capture of Central Asia - surprisingly as it may seem - is precisely the goal of sabotaging Anaklia, in addition to turning Georgia into a ‘small village.’

Another huge development is that if Iran is freed, an additional route from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and vice versa will emerge via Armenia (which is why Georgia must pull Armenia with all its strength toward the EU). Under conditions of increased cargo turnover, this is vitally necessary and will further elevate the importance of our region - and especially Georgia - as a bridge between Europe and Asia.

Even if the war ends, Russia will remain a politicized and unstable route. Turkey has constant disagreements with the West. There remains only one chance - us. Only we have the chance on the eastern Black Sea coast to become an EU member and to build a stable, high-quality democracy. What does this mean? By 2040, GDP per capita of USD 40,000. That is what it means - permanent prosperity and development, security, and a knowledge-based society!

Turning Georgia into the only EU member state on the eastern Black Sea coast would mean massive investments in Georgia’s infrastructure and education, and full coverage of Georgia by European and American security systems - to protect their own economic interests (which are far more sustainable than political ones).

It may seem like a geographical paradox, but if Iran is freed, Georgia becomes the gatekeeper of the Caspian. The key to the Caspian moves to the eastern Black Sea coast - meaning to us (and not to Turkey or Russia). This is the symbolic ‘Derbent’ from our formula ‘from Nikopsia to Derbent.’ As for the ‘Nikopsia’ side - Abkhazia - an EU-member Georgia will be able to reintegrate it. This is the only opportunity to do so and, crucially, a sufficient precondition.

In short, the ‘Dream’ must be removed, and we must sit by the geopolitical river and fish for a huge catch! Our time has come! The flourishing of Iberia is no longer a mythically colored pathos!” writes Nika Gvaramia.