OAS condemns “illegal” Venezuelan referendum challenging Guyana’s sovereignty

– as Commonwealth, Caricom throw support behind Guyana

A resolution from the Venezuelan National Assembly to hold a referendum on challenging Guyana’s territorial integrity has attracted fresh condemnation from the international community, with the Organisation of American States (OAS) condemning the referendum as illegal.
According to a report from BNN Newsroom, the Venezuelan National Assembly approved a nationwide consultative referendum which will see the Venezuelan people being allowed to express their views on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, through direct and secret votes.
The report also cites the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez. In the statement, Rodriguez is reported to have criticised the delegation that participated in talks with Venezuela in Mexico back in 2021 and to have accused them of backtracking from supporting Venezuela on its border controversy with Guyana.
In a statement on Saturday, the OAS had harsh words for the Venezuelan resolution. The OAS noted that such a referendum would be illegal under the terms of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which had affirmed the 1899 Arbitral Award that confirmed Essequibo as belonging to Guyana.
“We condemn this improper use of a referendum because it is illegal according to the 1966 Geneva Agreement and because similar misuses of this instrument have served as a pretext in the recent past to try to justify the worst actions between states, including the crime of aggression.”
According to the OAS statement, Venezuela and Guyana have a shared responsibility to resolve their dispute in the spirit of good neighbourliness and according to international law and the Geneva Agreement.
“Furthermore, the OAS General Secretariat continues to support Guyana’s sovereign right to practice its franchise on its established and appurtenant maritime area, in accordance with international law and the principals of the United Nations.”
“The OAS General Secretariat objects to Venezuela’s encroachment on Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial rights through intimidatory and unfounded statements that fail to respect international conventions and the 1899 Arbitral Award, for which the latter is presently under judicial review at the International Court of Justice,” the OAS also said.
Meanwhile, both the Commonwealth and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) have also thrown their support behind Guyana against the most recent threats from Venezuela regarding Guyana’s development of its oil resources. In a statement issued by Caricom, the group expressed grave concern at the recent development in the Venezuelan National Assembly.
“Caricom views the stated intention of Venezuela to “apply all the necessary measures” to prevent the operations licensed by Guyana in its waters, as a threat of the use of force contrary to international law. It is also not in keeping with the long-standing position of the Latin American and Caribbean countries that our Region must remain a Zone of Peace,” Caricom said.
“Caricom has also taken note of the decision of the Venezuelan National Assembly to conduct a popular referendum on defending Venezuela’s claim. Caricom expresses the hope that Venezuela will engage fully in the process before the International Court of Justice, which has determined that it has jurisdiction in the case brought before it. The Court’s final decision will ensure a resolution that is peaceful, equitable, and in accordance with international law.”
In the Commonwealth statement, it was revealed that the Commonwealth Ministerial Group met on September 17. The Ministerial Group, composed of Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, discussed developments between Guyana and Venezuela.
During the discussions which were convened in New York by Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, KC, the Ministerial Group expressed support for Guyana’s pursuit of a judicial solution to the border controversy. Support was also expressed for Guyana’s unobstructed development of its resources for the people.
“At the Meeting, chaired by Hon Dr A. K. Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, the Group welcomed the ruling by the International Court of Justice on the admissibility of Guyana’s case before it, seeking to settle the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela,” the Commonwealth said.
“Further, the Group reaffirmed its unwavering support for the judicial process underway before the International Court of Justice and reiterated its firm and steadfast support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana, and the unobstructed exercise of its rights to develop the entirety of its territory for the benefit of its people.”
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.