President David Granger yesterday focused his United Nations General Assembly address on the controversy over Vene-zuela’s spurious claim to Essequibo, charging that Caracas was trying to deny Guyana its birthright and calling on the UN to fulfil its pledge of collective security for small states.
“Venezuela has retarded Guyana’s development by threats that are intended to force a small state to yield its birthright,” a poised Granger declared as he delivered his first address as President of Guyana to the UN General Assembly.
“Venezuela’s expansionist ambitions cannot be allowed to unsettle the principle of inviolability of borders, undermine the tenets of international law and unravel borders which have been undisturbed for decades,” he added, tracing the decades of attempts by Caracas to thwart his country’s development.
Unflappable in his signature black tunic neck long-sleeved suit, Granger reiterated his country’s position that it wanted a final settlement at the level of the International Court of Justice, so that it can move ahead with development plans, as he feels other processes have been tried and exhausted.
“Guyana does not wish that this obnoxious territorial claim should obscure the prospects of peace and obstruct the possibility of growth for the next fifty years. We need a permanent solution in order to avoid the fate of perpetual peril and penury. Guyana seeks a juridical settlement to this controversy,” he stated.
Granger had met Vene-zuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday under the auspices of UN Secre-tary General Ban Ki-moon where agreements were reached for an easing of the tensions of the last few months.
However, diplomatic observers noted that Guyana has had enough of decades of Venezuelan aggression and the final straw might very well have been the May 26, 2015 decree attempting to appropriate most of Guyana’s Atlantic waters. In the months since then, Venezuela has ended a rice agreement with Guyana, withdrawn its ambassador, ordered a review of relations with this country, stalled approval of a new envoy from Georgetown, rushed missiles and troops to the frontier and made incursions into the Cuyuni River.
Sunday’s meeting saw Venezuela agreeing to send back its ambassador and to accept Guyana’s nominee, but observers say this will not change Guyana’s determined stance to have a judicial settlement of the border controversy which has plagued the country since 1962. Venezuela does not want a judicial settlement but a continuation of the UN Good Offices process.
The retired Brigadier outlined Venezuela’s military aggression, not only on the border but within Guyana’s territory. Said Granger, “For fifty years, our small country has been prevented from fully exploiting our rich natural resources. Venezuela has threatened and deterred investors and frustrated our economic development. For fifty years our territorial integrity has been violated by Venezuela which has occupied a part of our territory, the most recent incident being on the 10 October, 2013 when it sent a naval corvette into our maritime zone and expelled a peaceful, petroleum exploration vessel which was conducting seismic surveys.”
He added, “For fifty years Venezuela has promulgated spurious decrees claiming our territory, the most recent being on May 26, 2015, our independence anniversary, when it issued Decree number 1787 with specified coordinates purporting to annex almost our entire maritime zone. That decree constituted a reassertion of its claim to five of Guyana’s ten regions.”
He pointed out, “Venezuela—more than four times the size of Guyana with armed forces that are more than forty times the size of Guyana’s Defence Force—mindful of its superior wealth and military strength, and unmindful of its obligation as a member state of the United Nations, of the Union of South American Nations and of the Organization of American States, has pursued a path of intimidation and aggression.”
Granger affirmed that Guyana will not be bullied stating that she rejects the threats and claims made by her Spanish neighbour and which are in defiance of international law. The President also said that this country resists Venezuela’s acts of aggression in defiance of the Charter of the United Nations which prescribes the peaceful settlement of disputes and proscribes the use of armed force.
The President said Guyana recommits to preserving the Caribbean as a zone of peace that it will pursue the path of peace for all time and it is committed to the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Granger said that Guyana reposes total confidence in international law and at the same time seeks a resolution of the border controversy, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations. He noted, “The whole world—except the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela—accepts our borders.”
Pointing out that he had faith in the international peace body he said that the United Nations remains this country’s best hope for a final settlement to the controversy. “The United Nations is our best prospect of peace. The United Nations is our best assurance of security for a small state. The United Nations is our strength, support and succour in our time of danger….Guyana seeks nothing more than the solidarity of this international community, the assurance of the Charter and the safety of international law,” he said.
Maduro, in his presentation later yesterday, shied away from addressing the issue frontally, collectively lumping it with the recent problems with Colombia.
Using less than five minutes of his 35 minutes address, Maduro said, “Venezuela, though the diplomacy of peace had to also take action along our border …We had to carry out an operation along our borders with Colombia and Guyana. We had Unasur and Celac, who helped to mediate the situation. There was the problem of drug traffickers and now, today, I can say that we really have positive hopes that the situation will be resolved and we would be able to resume normal working relations with the government of Colombia and the same applies to our sister Republic of Guyana.”
Briefly noting Sunday’s meeting, Maduro omitted key elements, but took time to point out that the meeting was held during the lunar eclipse.
“Some issues arose there which would have to be resolved and I appreciate that Ban Ki Moon responded to the request from Venezuela and last Sunday, the day of the red moon, the lunar eclipse, on that very day of the lunar eclipse we met with the representatives of Guyana,” he said.
“The diplomacy of peace did prevail and we were able to take a positive decision and resolve the issues. So the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to have to deal with difficult challenges but we approach all of these issues with the diplomacy of peace and through dialogue and communication we are trying to avert threats to our people,” he added.
