Dear Editor,
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) remain deeply concerned about aggressive actions towards Guyana being taken by Venezuela. Recent weeks have seen a ratcheting up of tensions as Venezuela seeks to reassert its unfounded claim over the Essequibo.
The FITUG, while a long-standing friend of the Bolivarian Republic, cannot, at the same time, countenance any attempt to violate Guyana’s territory. We remain firm that Essequibo belongs to Guyana, and reject any narrative that disregards this reality.
The simmering tensions, it appears, have reached worrying proportions, with the Venezuelan military staging an incursion into Guyanese waters. We find the actions by Venezuela to be a flagrant violation of our territory, made worse by the apprehension of Guyanese nationals.
We are aware of the fervent diplomatic efforts to secure the release of our nationals from Venezuelan custody. We applaud these efforts, and hope that our countrymen can be soon reunited with their loved ones.
We unequivocally condemn the incursion, and stand in solidarity with Guyana and its people. We uphold and reiterate the unequivocal statements emanating from several Governments and international organisations in denouncing Venezuela’s violation of our territory.
At this time, with the decades-old border dispute attracting the attention of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), we see the actions of Venezuela as presumptuous. We denounce all acts of aggression and territorial incursion. We stand with the Government of Guyana and all Guyanese as we defend and uphold our sovereignty and defend our Essequibo!
Sincerely,
Federation of
Independent
Trade Unions
of Guyana
(FITUG)
