Deandrea Hamilton and Rashaed Esson
Editorial Staff
#Guyana, December 10, 2023 – More tension is brewing between Guyana and Venezuela in an ongoing conflict over territory which world maps say belongs to Guyana; and a recent referendum has drawn suspicion and criticism for the Venezuelan president for asking questions which were off-base.
It has been reported that 95% of those who voted have given the Venezuelan government a clear directive to claim ownership of Essequibo, the region in dispute. That referendum was held on Sunday December 3, and was called by the Venezuelan Government, led by President Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuela is now boldly moving to claim sovereignty over Essequibo which is rich in oil and minerals. Guyana however maintains, unequivocally, that the land has long been theirs.
According to reports, during the voting process for the five-question referendum, only a few voters could be seen at the centres; however, the National Electoral Council claims it counted more than 10.5 million votes.
Venezuela has been vocal for years, arguing that the territory was stolen when the border was drawn more than a
century ago. But those looking on say the claims are unfounded.
Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana responded to the referendum during a BBC News interview.
“Our response has always been one that respects international law, one that respects the dignity of people, one that leads to the continuation of peace within this region.”
He continued to express that this is the reason why Guyana went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for provisional measures, regarding the referendum.
Ali added that this appeal to the ICJ is not to stop the referendum, as it is Venezuela’s “business.”
The Prime Minister explained that seeking out the ICJ is to have provisional measures against two questions.
“One, that will allow Venezuela to annex Essequibo; and two to allow them to establish their state, and on both these questions the ICJ made it clear that Venezuela is not to act upon the outcome of these two questions or upon the outcome of the referendum, and that Venezuela must respect the status quo as it exists, today in Guyana and that is, Essequibo belongs to Guyana.”
The question in motion now as pointed out during the interview is will Venezuela respect the ICJ’s stance and to this Ali expressed that he believes Venezuela has a responsibility to honour the order and respect the 1899 award.
“In the 1899 award, the boundaries of Guyana and Venezuela were fully settled, and that settlement was jointly agreed to by Venezuela and Guyana,” he maintained.
“Venezuela went on to enact the boundaries within the legal system,” he added.
Despite this reality, Ali admits being concerned that Venezuela may act in a reckless manner, which can lead to more displacement of the already struggling Venezuelan people, and create added regional pressure on issues such as migration.
Ali has also been working to gain support; regional bodies such as CARICOM, the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States have issued very strong statements calling on Venezuela to respect the rule of law as well as the order of the ICJ.