Guyana stands united against Venezuela’s threats to its sovereignty

– Pres Ali briefs Opposition Leader, House Speaker on situation

President Dr Irfaan Ali has assured that Guyana is unified against any Venezuelan threats, also revealing that he has spoken with Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, to update them on the situation.
Last week, Venezuela issued a communique that threatened Guyana and protested against Guyana’s efforts to auction its oil blocks, even though all the blocks are in Guyana’s sovereign territory.
According to President Ali in a video broadcast on Saturday, September 23, he has since updated not only the Speaker of the House but also Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, on the Guyana-Venezuela controversy, as well as the support Guyana has gotten from the international community including the Organisation of American States (OAS).
“I had the opportunity to speak with the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Leader of the Opposition, updating them on all that we’ve done and the circumstances,” President Ali said.
“And I’ve also shared with the Speaker, all the statements from the Commonwealth, the OAS, the US State Department, on this matter. And I want to thank the international community for its strong and consistent support for Guyana.”
He also assured that Guyana will continue to defend its rights to its own exclusive economic zone (EEZ). He noted that Guyana is fully aware of its boundaries and promotes peace and thus, rejects Venezuela’s attempts to disrupt that peace.
“I want to assure all Guyanese that we’re going to consistently defend what is ours, Essequibo. In a strong way, in the framework of international law and peace. And we are together on this as a nation. Make no mistake. Guyana is together on this,” the Head of State further said.
Meanwhile, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) issued a statement on the Opposition Leader’s conversation with the President. According to the statement, Norton reaffirmed the Opposition’s support for Guyana’s position on the 1899 Arbitral Award during talks with the President.

“He (Norton) informed the President that we are united on this issue and reassured him of the Opposition’s support of all measures aimed at protecting our territorial integrity and sovereignty. Mr Norton also indicated to the President that we support the view that Guyana has the right to undertake economic activity within our territory and in our appurtenant maritime territories.”
“The Opposition opposes and condemns all forms of aggression by Venezuela against Guyana. We also welcome the support of the international community in protecting our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the statement added.
The Opposition, through Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Amanza Walton-Desir, had previously sent out a statement throwing their support behind the Government’s denunciation of Venezuela following the issuance of the communique.
In the Venezuelan communique issued last week, the Spanish-speaking country said “Guyana does not have sovereign rights over these maritime areas and consequently any action within their limits. It is a violation of international law, as long as they are not carried out through an agreement with Venezuela.”
Venezuela further said that “Any illicit and arbitrary concession that Guyana grants, has granted or intends to grant in the areas in question is unacceptable and violates its sovereign rights, and warns that these actions do not generate any type of rights to third parties who participate in said process.”
Venezuela is laying claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass in Essequibo. The Spanish-speaking country is also claiming a portion of Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in which more than eleven billion barrels of proven reserves are estimated to exist.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in January 2018, had decided that the case should be settled by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), after exercising the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom.
He resorted to judicial settlement after the good offices process between Guyana and Venezuela failed. Within the framework of the 1966 Geneva Agreement between the two countries, the Secretary General conducted good offices from 1990 to 2017 to find a solution to the border controversy.
Among other things, Guyana is asking the ICJ to adjudge and declare that the 1899 Award is valid and binding upon Guyana and Venezuela, that Venezuela is internationally responsible for violations of Guyana’s sovereignty and sovereign rights, and for all injuries suffered by Guyana as a consequence. (G-3)