Guyana reiterated this Thursday its protests against the Venezuelan law on the Essequibo region, a territory rich in oil and natural resources that it administers but whose sovereignty is claimed by Caracas, considering once again that it is a “flagrant violation” of international law.
“This attempt by Venezuela to annex more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory and make it part of Venezuela constitutes a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law.” wrote the Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Wednesday, during a ceremony in the National Assembly, the Venezuelan president, the socialist Nicolás Maduro, promulgated the law that had been adopted at the end of March, reaffirming Venezuela’s sovereignty over the Essequibo and denouncing the installation of “secret military bases” from the United States.
That law was drafted after the referendum held in December (with approval of 96.3% of the votes) on the annexation of the disputed region and designates the territory, of 160,000 km2, as a new state of Venezuela.
For Guyana, the regulations “contradicts the letter and spirit of the Argyle Joint Declaration for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela”, referring to the declaration signed by the presidents of both countries, Irfaan Ali and Maduro, respectively, after the December summit in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
That agreement had then reduced the tension, with the two countries then ruling out any “use of force” to resolve the dispute.
Guyana also warned Venezuela, but also international organizations (Celac, OAS, UN) that ““It will not tolerate the annexation, seizure or occupation of any part of its sovereign territory.”
Venezuela maintains that the Essequibo River should be the bilateral natural border, as it was in 1777 during the time of the Spanish Empire, but for Guyana the jurisdiction, which dates back to the English colonial era, was ratified in 1899 by an arbitration court in Paris.
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
