GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Hilton Todd, held talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gill, Wednesday, as tensions between the two.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation statement said that the telephone discussions had been initiated by Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Pérez Silva.
“Minister Todd expressed concern over the recent actions emanating from Caracas over the last 24 hours, which were in direct violation of the Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1, 2023,” according to the brief statement issued by the ministry.
It said Todd “reiterated Guyana’s commitment to resolving the controversy through the ongoing judicial process and encouraged Venezuela to participate in the case before the Court.
“Minister Todd further reiterated Guyana’s commitment to respect international law and the need to maintain peace and security in the region. He encouraged respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
Political observers say the campaign to take ownership of Essequibo is part of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s attempt to boost his popularity ahead of next year’s election.
Venezuela has claimed the vast territory for decades — even as its 160,000 square kilometers (62,000 square miles) represent more than two-thirds of Guyana, and its population of 125,000 is one-fifth of Guyana’s total.
The Guyana government said it would take the border issue with Venezuela to the United Nations after it described as “unsettling developments” the “unlawful claim by Caracas” to the Essequibo.
President Irfaan Ali said that Maduro, on Tuesday night, “announced several measures his government intends to take to enforce the outcome of the referendum held on December 3, 2023.
“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,” Ali said.
Maduro announced that foreign companies working in the disputed Guyanese county of Essequibo would have to withdraw within three months, asserting his right to do so after Venezuelan voters backed the December 3 referendum to seek ownership of the area.
“I propose a special law to prohibit all companies that work under Guyana concessions from any transaction. They have three months to withdraw” once his proposal is approved,” Maduro added.
While Maduro hasn’t yet dispatched any military forces to enforce his demands, he said he would create an army unit for the disputed territory but that it would be based in a neighboring Venezuelan state.
Last week, the ICJ ruled that Venezuela must not take any action to seize Essequibo’s mineral and forest-rich county.
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.
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