US National Security Council officials, top Guyana govt representative discuss Venezuela’s referendum

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 November 2023, 17:13 by Denis Chabrol

Representatives of the United States’ National Security Council (NSC) this week discussed Venezuela’s December 3 referendum, with the Guyana government on Thursday saying both sides agreed t0 work closely.

“The meeting addressed, inter alia, Venezuela’s December 3 referendum. Both sides committed to enhancing cooperation and coordination on this important matter, as well as other relevant issues,” government’s Department of Public Information (DPI) said in a statement.

That referendum seeks a stamp of approval from Venezuelans not to recognise the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to resolve the territorial controversy over the Essequibo Region, and the establishment of Essequibo as a state of Venezuela. The intent is to be responsible for the current and future inhabitants of that Guyanese county and they would be granted citizenship and national identification cards.

Representing Guyana at those talks with the high-level team from the US National Security Council was Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.

“For Guyana and the United States of America, security cooperation remains a key component of their strategic partnership,” DPI said.

Already top officials of the US Army and their counterparts of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) this week wrapped up two days of talks on what the American embassy here said focussed on “upcoming engagements to include strategic planning sessions and processes to enhance both countries’ military readiness and capabilities to respond to security threats.”

Demerara Waves Online News was told that a team of US military advisors were in Guyana under the auspices of the US Department of Defence.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s Ministry of Defence on Wednesday said it was monitoring the situation between Venezuela and Guyana and that defense actions “have been intensified” in the border region.  Senator Hiran Gonçalves (PP) asked the Ministry of Defense to reinforce the Armed Forces in Pacaraima , a Brazilian city on the border with Venezuela, due to the dispute between the Venezuelan country and Guyana over the Essequibo region. According to the senator, in a conversation on Tuesday,  the Minister of Defense, José Mucio, had already guaranteed military reinforcement on the border between Brazil and Venezuela, mainly in the municipality of Pacaraima, a strategic point of access to the Essequibo