GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders ended a summit here on Friday night “firmly” supporting Guyana in its border dispute with Venezuela over the ownership of the mineral-rich Essequibo region.
A statement issued following their virtual meeting said that the regional leaders are also urging Caracas “to respect the conservatory measures determined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its recent ruling until a final resolution.
“CARICOM firmly supports Guyana in pursuance of the resolution of its border controversy with Venezuela through the process of the ICJ,” the leaders of the 15-member grouping that includes Guyana said in the statement.
“CARICOM reiterates its commitment to the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and maintaining international law.
“Accordingly, CARICOM calls for a de-escalation of the conflict and for appropriate dialogue between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana to ensure peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law, and the avoidance of the use or threats of force,” the statement added.
On Sunday, Venezuela staged a referendum in which it said 95 percent of the votes cast supported the annexation of the Essequibo region. President Nicolas Maduro announced soon afterward that foreign companies working in Essequibo would have to withdraw within three months.
He said he was also proposing a special law to prohibit all companies that work under Guyana concessions from any transaction and that Caracas would create a military unit for the disputed territory but that it would be based in a neighboring Venezuelan state.
Before the referendum, the ICJ ruled that Venezuela must not take any action to seize Essequibo, which Guyana has administered for over a century.
The Essequibo makes up about two-thirds of Guyanese territory and is home to 125,000 of the country’s 800,000 citizens, but is also claimed by Venezuela.
In its ruling, the Court issued several provisional measures that “unanimously pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Cooperative Republic of Guyana administers, and exercises control over that area.”
The ICJ also said that “unanimously, both parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more challenging to resolve.
“The court emphasizes that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the court to decide at the merits stage,” it added.
The United Nations Security Council is reportedly meeting on Friday behind closed doors to discuss the situation. Still, the outcome of its deliberations has yet to be made public.
Delegates left the meeting, which took place at Guyana’s request, with roses offered by Ecuador, which chairs the Council this month. None made statements to reporters.
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