Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana Riding on the Crest of Truth
Last Updated on Friday, 8 December 2023, 23:56 by Denis Chabrol
The headquarters of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) based at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Guyana.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders on Friday, backing Guyana’s position to resolve the border controversy with Venezuela through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), called for talks between Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro.
“CARICOM calls for a de-escalation of the conflict and for appropriate dialogue between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana to ensure peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law and the avoidance of the use or threats of force,” CARICOM said in a statement. That, the regional leaders said, was in keeping with its long-held commitment to the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and the maintenance of international law.
The Guyana government has repeatedly said it does not oppose dialogue between Dr Ali and Mr Maduro on issues other than the border controversy, but the Venezuelan government wants a bilateral settlement in keeping with its interpretation of the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
In that regard, the regional bloc’s leaders made it clear that they are siding with Guyana for the dispute over the 160,000 square kilometre county to be settled at the ICJ. “CARICOM firmly supports Guyana in pursuance of the resolution of its border controversy with Venezuela through the process of the ICJ,” the regional organisation of 14 independent member states said. Guyana has asked the ICJ to declare that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award settled the land boundary with the ICJ.
CARICOM leaders also called on Venezuela to respect the orders issued by that court not to take any action to encroach on Guyana’s Essequibo County. Further, CARICOM urges Venezuela to respect the conservatory measures determined by the ICJ in its recent ruling until a final resolution,” CARICOM said.
Earlier this week, President Maduro announced that, as a result of the referendum results on questions such as making Essequibo a Venezuelan state, that Guyanese county would now be a new military zone and that Spanish-speaking nation’s state-owned oil and mining companies would soon be authorised to explore for oil and gas as well as mine. Reacting on Thursday, Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said if that happens it would amount to a violation of the December 1 order by the ICJ. “Any attempt to explore for petroleum by his state oil companies or companies in our territory will be seen as an incursion by Guyana and an attempt to alter the situation on the ground contrary to the ruling of the ICJ,” he said.
Also, the Venezuelan leader has said that his government would not be respecting agreements that the Guyana government has signed with foreign companies, and that foreign companies must leave those concessions within three months.
Vice President Jagdeo, however, advised foreign companies to ignore Mr Maduro and that Guyana would take every step to protect its territory including the Exclusive Economic Zone where there are several oil concessions and exploration and production. “I want to say to the companies that he has given an ‘ultimatum’ to: They should pay no regard to Maduro or his ultimatum. We will defend that territory as sovereign Guyanese territory. They are operating legally, lawfully in this territory,” he said
There continues to be a heavy presence of the Venezuelan side of the border with Guyana. Brazil has also fortified an area named Pacaraima after receiving intelligence that Venezuela’s military wanted to pass through Brazil to enter Guyana.