Venezuela’s action repugnant to spirit of goodwill, peace – Bar Association

The Bar Association has expressed concern about the impending referendum in Venezuela that aims to pave the way for the annexation of Guyana’s Essequibo county.
In a statement on Thursday, the Association pointed out that the referendum raises issues about Guyana’s sovereignty over the territory between the Essequibo River and the internationally recognised western boundaries of Guyana; the purported creation of a new Venezuelan State encompassing the Essequibo region; as well as other legal and political matters.
“These actions appear to be a precursor to the forced annexation of Guyana’s territory and have the effect of aggravating or extending the dispute that has been referred to the International Court of Justice. In which referral is an approach by the Government of Guyana for provisional measures in the proceedings currently pending before that Court.”
According to the Bar Association, Venezuela’s actions generally and those which are the subject of the request for provisional measures before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are unjustifiable in international law.
The statement added, “Whatever the motivations or intentions of the Venezuelan Government, they are repugnant to the spirit of goodwill and peace which ought to pervade among neighbours. We share the concern of the Guyanese people that Venezuela’s actions are an unjust interference with our right to peace and self-determination and a regrettable fetter on our economic development aspirations.”
The Bar Council of the Bar Association has said it stands in full support of the Government of Guyana’s actions to defend Guyana’s territorial integrity in the referenced judicial proceedings and the wider diplomatic efforts.
The Executive Council of the Bar Association of Guyana intends to host a symposium with national legal experts on December 4, 2023, to discuss the legal issues before the ICJ.
This symposium will address not only Guyana’s application for provisional measures but also the wider principles in the principal proceedings.
International arbitration resolved the dispute over ownership of the Essequibo region in 1899, awarding the region — which makes up more than 40 per cent of Guyana’s sovereign territory, and is rich in natural resources like gold, oil, bauxite, and diamonds — to the Guyana Government.