Venezuela border controversy: Guyana alerts UN, bilateral partners’ militaries of desperate, blatant threats by Venezuela – Pres Ali

…after Maduro claims he will authorise oil exploration in Guyana’s Essequibo region

As Venezuela’s threat to Guyana’s territorial integrity continues to intensify, President Dr Irfaan Ali, in an address to the nation late Tuesday evening, made it clear that his Government would be taking a number of precautionary measures, including alerting the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
This address to the nation by the Head of State came after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claimed that he would now authorise oil exploration in Guyana’s Essequibo River, even though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has not pronounced on the border controversy case.
President Ali said that he has since informed the United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres of Maduro’s statement over Guyana’s territory.
Speaking to the Guyanese people, President Ali said: “I address you on an unsettling development in relation to the unlawful claim by Venezuela to Guyana’s Essequibo Region, which constitutes more than two-thirds of Guyana’s national territory. Tonight (Tuesday), President Maduro announced several measures which his Government intends to take in enforcing the outcome of the referendum held on December 3, 2023.”
Ali said, “as I made clear from the date the referendum was first announced, this is a direct threat to Guyana’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence, and in violation of fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN and OAS Charters.”
The measures announced by Maduro, he added, are in blatant disregard of the order given by the ICJ on December 1, 2023 and Guyana views this as an imminent threat to its territorial integrity and will intensify precautionary measures to safeguard its territory.
“I have tonight (Tuesday) spoken to the Secretary General of the United Nations and several leaders, alerting them of these dangerous developments and the desperate actions of President Maduro that fly in the face of international law and constitute a grave threat to international peace and security.”
He added that today, Guyana would bring this matter to the UN Security Council for appropriate action to be taken by that body.
“Further, we have engaged Caricom, the OAS, the Commonwealth and many of our bilateral partners, including the United States of America, Brazil, the United Kingdom and France. The Guyana Defence Force is on full alert, and has engaged its military counterparts , including the US Southern Command,” the Head of State said.
By defying the Court, Venezuela has rejected international law, the rule of law generally, fundamental justice and morality, and the preservation of international peace and security, Ali said, adding that “they have literally declared themselves an outlaw nation”.
“Nothing they do, however, will stop Guyana from proceeding with the case in the ICJ, or stop the ICJ from ultimately issuing its final judgment on the merits of the case. We will not allow our territory to be violated nor the development of our country to be stymied by this desperate threat.”
Under the watchful eyes of the world, Venezuela on Sunday went ahead with its planned referendum containing all five questions as is, including a question asking its citizens for approval to invade Essequibo and create a Venezuelan state out of two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. This is despite the ICJ ruling on December 1, which barred Venezuela from taking any action emanating from the referendum, to seize Essequibo while the Court makes its decision about the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.
The National Electoral Council of Venezuela had reported that there were over 28,000 polling stations across Venezuela and the process was even open to Venezuelans with expired ID cards. At the initially-planned close of polls, the voting deadline had to be extended.
The event was overshadowed not only by the disapproval of the regional and international community, but by opposition to the referendum within Venezuela itself.
Venezuelan authorities claimed that 10.5 million votes were counted, but have shied away from giving the number of voters. However, Henrique Capriles, a major figure of the Venezuelan Opposition, has put the actual voter turnout at 2.1 million voters.
This, he said, is an abstention of over 89 per cent, compared to the eligible voting population. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Capriles, at one point imprisoned by the Maduro regime on what were widely seen as politically-instigated charges, lambasted the Venezuelan Government for its resounding failures.
Capriles said that Maduro was out of excuses, pointing out that the day after the referendum, the economic and social problems facing Venezuelans remain unchanged. According to him, the time for a regime change is now.
“Without a doubt, Maduro once again turned an opportunity to do something good for all Venezuelans into a resounding failure. He has never done anything for Essequibo or the people. He won’t do it now. A new Government will have that historic responsibility. Maduro ran out of another excuse,” the Venezuelan politician said in his translated tweet.
“I hope that his own people demand that while he has power, he addresses the economic and social problems suffered by the vast majority of Venezuelans. Tomorrow, December 4, all the country’s problems are still there. 2024 has to be the year of hope so that Venezuelans can have the change they deserve and recover their quality of life and the reunion of the Venezuelan family.”