OAS describes Maduro’s law that seeks to annex Guyana Essequibo as “fascist”

The Organization of American States (OAS) described this Monday as “fascist” the Law for the defense of Essequibo promoted by the Government of Nicolas Madurowith the intention of providing a legal framework for Venezuela’s plans to annex this area of Guyana rich in Petroleum.

“This law puts at risk the security not only of Guyana, but also hemispheric peace and security,” the organization noted in a statement.

The Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Essequibo was approved in March by Parliament – with a large pro-government majority – and promulgated last week, with the intention of providing a legal framework for Venezuelan plans to annex the area under dispute, about 160,000 square kilometers.

Guyana, a former British colony that became independent in 1966, is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, made up of 56 countries, many of them Caribbean.

For Guyana, this attempt by Venezuela is “a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”a vision that the OAS shared today.

“It is absolutely contrary to the most basic principles of international law and reaffirms once again the dictatorial pattern of whoever holds power in Venezuela”said the Washington-based organization.

The “combined use of internal repression with the regime’s aggressive stance towards the Cooperative Republic of Guyana” ands “a new milestone in the infinite spiral of moral and political poverty of the Venezuelan regime,” he added.

“Like any self-respecting fascist law,” he added, “Not only does it contain the external threat, but it also fulfills its tasks of internal repression.”

Venezuela delivers documents on territorial dispute to the ICJ

Venezuela presented documents this Monday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demonstrate its possession of the Essequibo, an oil-rich territory that it disputes with Guyana, although it reiterated that it does not recognize its jurisdiction to settle the dispute.

“Venezuela delivers to the ICJ a document and its respective copies with the historical truth and evidence that demonstrates that we are the only ones with title to the territory of Guayana Essequibo”reported the Venezuelan vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, in X.

The vice president accompanied the message with a video where officials can be seen transporting twenty boxes with documents and copies to the court, based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Guyana asks the ICJ to ratify an 1899 award in which the current borders were established, while Venezuela claims the Geneva Agreement, signed in 1966 with the United Kingdom before Guyanese independence, which annulled the award and established bases for a solution negotiated.

“The criminal award of 1899 was a fraud. Venezuela has never consented to the jurisdiction of the Court for this territorial controversy; The only valid instrument is the 1966 Geneva Agreement and this is proven. Overcome!”said Rodríguez.

“The delivery of this document does not imply the consent of Venezuela nor the recognition of the jurisdiction of the Court in the territorial controversy over Guayana Essequibo, nor of the decision that it may adopt on this matter”Rodríguez said later when reading a statement on the official VTV channel.

The government of Nicolás Maduro held a popular referendum in December on the annexation of this region and in early April the president promulgated a law that designates Essequibo as a new Venezuelan state, Guayana Essequibo, while denouncing the installation of “secret military bases” of the United States.

Guyana considers that the instrument “constitutes a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law.”

The controversy over this 160,000 km2 territory rich in oil and other natural resources has intensified since 2015 after the discovery of deposits by the oil company ExxonMobil.

The escalation of tensions in recent months has raised fears of a regional conflict.

In December, Presidents Irfaan Ali and Maduro met for the first time face to face where both governments agreed not to threaten each other or use force to resolve the territorial dispute.

With information from EFE and AFP

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