Guyana will seek the support of Caricom in its territorial dispute with Venezuela

The Government of Guyana will take advantage of a meeting of countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for to look for the support of the regional grouping of 15 members in its border dispute with Venezuela.

The President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, He advanced in statements to local media that will seek the support of Caricom after making public his rejection, last week, to one agreement signed between the authorities and the Venezuelan opposition to join forces in the border dispute between the two neighboring states.

Ali said the Caricom countries they must work to get Venezuela to accept that the dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Instead of supporting a bilateral solution negotiated with Georgetown to resolve the historic dispute.

“The issue of the controversy that exists at the border has nothing to do with its internal problems and it has already been determined where this issue will be resolved, which is in the ICJ,” Ali added.

Frontal rejection of the agreement

Last week, the government led by Ali stated that he strongly rejects an agreement signed between the Venezuelan regime and the opposition of the South American country which formally agreed to unite on the issue of the long-standing claim over the dispute with Guyana.

The agreement between the regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Platform of Unity of Venezuela was signed in Mexico City last Monday.

Ali said he would also announce Guyana’s position at future international meetings, which would include a meeting with the UN secretary-general. António Guterres, On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month.

The route passes through the ICJ

“The road to determine – (the agreement between the two countries) has already been made public. We have adopted that this route is the ICJ and we are committed to that. This route is the rule of law and this is where the matter resides, not in any parallel show or in any other commitment, “he said.

The territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela is in the hands of the ICJ, where Georgetown understands that border differences must be resolved.

Guyana has warned on several occasions in Venezuela not to use the border claim of the Esequibo region, rich in minerals, forests and oil, as a bargaining chip for internal affairs.

The regime and the opposition together in the territorial dispute

The regime and the opposition came together for the historic claim of Venezuela in the matter of the so-called Guyana Esequiba, which covers almost 160,000 square kilometers west of the river Esequibo, which accounts for almost two-thirds of the former British colony.

Guyana had welcomed the decision of the UN Secretary-General in 2018 to make the ICJ the forum for resolving the dispute between the two countries.

This country approached the ICJ in 2018 in search of a final and binding ruling to reinforce that the Arbitral Award of 1899 remains valid and binding on all parties, as well as a legal statement that the region of the Essequibo, which contains much of Guyana’s natural resources, does not belong to Venezuela.

(With information from EFE)

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