Venezuela- President Nicolas Maduro
Jan 09, 2021– Kaieteur News – President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, on Thursday January 7. 2021 issued a presidential decree, reinforcing the country’s claim to Guyana’s Essequibo Region and in a tweet has vowed to “reconquer” the Essequibo.
Alongside that action, the Venezuelan President announced on the same day that he wrote to Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, requesting the union to lead direct negotiations between Guyana and Venezuela as an alternative solution to the ongoing litigation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Maduro said that the Essequibo region has always been the territory of Venezuela but that it suffered imperial dispossession.
In a tweet posted on Thursday, Maduro said “I signed the decree by which the Territory for the Development of the Atlantic Façade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is established, which becomes part of the legal, diplomatic and political actions for the defense of our rights for more than 200 years.”
“That territory belongs to the Venezuelan men and women and we are going to reconquer it.” Maduro said in another tweet, as he called on Venezuelans to support his cause.
Maduro’s call was buttressed by a unanimous agreement made on Thursday by all political factions in Venezuela’s National Assembly that they would fight for the region they call ‘Guayana Esequiba.’
According to Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information, the National Assembly made three agreements, which include the formation of a ‘Special Commission for the Defence of the Guayana Esequiba Territory and Territorial Sovereignty.’
Maduro also announced in another tweet on Thursday that he wrote to the UN with the objective of advancing a peaceful alternative to the ICJ litigation.
The Venezuelan President said that only sovereign states can bring us closer to a solution to the controversy.
“We reject the ICJ’s decision. We are determined to defend our Essequibo.” Maduro said.
The Court, in December, delivered a judgment stating that it has jurisdiction to hear a matter in a border case Guyana filed against neighbouring Venezuela. The judgment states that the UN Secretary-General may choose a means of settlement under Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, which includes judicial settlement.
Venezuela had long held that it would prefer direct negotiations and that it rejects the jurisdiction of the ICJ to settle this matter once and for all. After the judgment was passed down, Venezuela declared that it rejected the Court’s assumption of jurisdiction.
The Guyana Government’s Advisor on Borders, Carl Greenidge, has said that he expects the ICJ to take two to three and a half years to issue a judgment settling the matter.
Comments
The Exxon deal is the life insurance that Guyana signed to protect its territory from Venezuelan aggression. From this perspective, it’s almost futile to fight about the financial details of the Stabroek Block deal. The cost that Guyana would otherwise have to spend on defence efforts need to be taken in consideration. De facto US territorial protection will also allow for more foreign investment to enter the country. Something that had not happened in fifty years of independence due to political instability and the constant threats from Venezuela.
The Exxon oil deal will in hindsight be seen as invaluable and it is time that the nation acknowledges that only the US has the power to guarantee the territorial integrity of Guyana from Venezuelan aggression.
I concur fully with the above views of Dr. B. In fact, it had been a mistake years ago for Guyana to initially give oil leases to Canadian companies whose Govt. did nothing when the Venezuelan warships chased away their drilling ships. With all the US’s warts and boils, it is best placed to develop and protect Guyana and its resources.Since they didn’t like the US at the time, Guyana’s leaders could have instead awarded the leases to the UK, which would have brought their own warships to protect the drilling ships;but no, that would have meant relying on one’s former colonial masters.
It defies one’s imagination as to why Guyana’s political leaders over the years most of whom have traveled outside the country and presumably can read, haven’t been able to see the real world as it is. It is naive to believe the world outside the country is fair, when they are not even fair to their own population.
Guyana is so lucky to have biden and the chinese standing strong for them…
你死定了
Wally, this needs som’ explaining to the lay audience?!
The US used to be the big strong, crude unsophisticated cousin, with lots of cash, never invited to the family BBQ but any time someone threatens to kick your ass, the US was the one to call, that might be gone for ever.
Wally, who is replacing the US as major power in the Caribbean and South America? The Chinese do not have a military reach into this region. Or am I missing something?
Chinese owns the biden crooks, they have them in their pockets, that’s how they operate,and demanding everyone who collected must start paying back, NOW! BTW take a look at Jamaica.don’t forget china needs cheap oil ,lots, they will play both sides
It is well-known ploy of nations like Venezuela to stir up their citizens against an outside foe when they are facing internal unrest. Maduro is a failed president who is trying to regain the support of the Venezuelan people, who have shown clearly that they don’t want him!
Venezuela should have not one blue saki, not one cuirass, not one rice grain, not a blade of grass! Maduro would like to bully Guyana into giving up her wealth. Let’s keep the eyes of the world on his desperate attempts to snatch away our future. Praise God for rocks like Sir Shridath Ramphal!
Geoff, you are absolutely correct with your analysis. Despite all this negative and threatening rhetoric coming out of Caracas, the Guyanese people have been decent enough to host some 22’000 Venezuelan refugees, if not more, without stigmatising them. I hope the Guyanese remain good and generous hosts.
Reference:
https://reliefweb.int/map/colombia/latin-america-and-caribbean-venezuelan-refugees-migrants-region-july-2020
I just noticed that Guyana is hosting per capita (2.8%) the second most Venezuelan refugees after Colombia (3.6%). And this is only true, if the number of 22’000 is indeed correct.
Guyanese men are conquering Venezuelans in a different way 🙂 Tek dat Maduro!