Last Updated on Friday, 1 December 2023, 13:40 by Denis Chabrol
Venezuela on Friday stayed clear of signaling whether it would obey the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ order that it must not take any action in Guyana’s Essequibo County pending a declaration about the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the land boundary between the two countries.
The ICJ on Friday ruled that pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Cooperative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area. However, the Venezuelan government, in its reaction, did not refer to that order or say whether it would comply.
Instead, the Venezuelan government maintained that it does not recognise the ICJ to settle the territorial controversy and that it would be going ahead with its five questions including two that seek a ‘yes’ vote not to recognise that court in the boundary issue, and to declare Essequibo a State of Venezuela where current and future inhabitants would be given Venezuelan citizenship and identification cards.
The Venezuelan government also claimed victory in the case before the ICJ on the basis that the court did not order that any of the five referendum questions be altered. “In the present case, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana had expressly requested that the consultative referendum not be held or that questions 1, 3 and 5 be modified. In its decision, the Court rejected – as a whole – this unprecedented and unfounded request which is related to a matter of the exclusive domain of Venezuela,” government said in a statement.
Following is the full text of the Venezuelan government’s statement.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela takes note of the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice, in relation to the unusual and interventionist provisional measures requested by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana against the consultative referendum scheduled for December 3, 2023.
Venezuela ratifies that, true to its historical position, it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to settle the territorial controversy surrounding Guayana Esequiba, especially given the existence of the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
In the present case, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana had expressly requested that the consultative referendum not be held or that questions 1, 3 and 5 be modified. In its decision, the Court rejected – as a whole – this unprecedented and unfounded request. , which is related to a matter of the exclusive domain of Venezuela.
Nothing in international law allowed the Court to interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela, nor to attempt to prohibit or modify a sovereign act organized within the framework of its participatory political system and based on its Constitution.
Likewise, with this decision it has been demonstrated that Guyana is not a victim, it has no titles over the disputed territory, it is a de facto occupier and has repeatedly violated the Geneva Agreement and international legality by unilaterally granting concessions in the land territory and in the waters pending to be delimited, as well as facilitating its territory for the military deployment in our region of the main warlike power on the planet.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as it had announced and in accordance with its sacred Constitution, will continue with all preparations to carry out the consultative referendum called by the Electoral Branch at the request of the Venezuelan Parliament. Nothing and no one will prevent the Venezuelan people from expressing themselves freely on December 3 on their own, internal and extremely important issue, such as territorial integrity.
Venezuela reiterates that it will firmly maintain its unwavering defense of international legality and the Geneva Agreement as the only legal instrument that allows reaching a practical and satisfactory solution for both parties, through friendly, political and peaceful negotiations.
The truth of Venezuela and its inalienable sovereignty, constitutionality and self-determination have been victorious.
On December 3, the Venezuelan people will go out to exercise their vote, for the first time in history, to defend their territorial integrity and will ratify that our rights over Guayana Esequiba are inalienable and unquestionable.
The Sun of Venezuela is born in Essequibo!
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