President Irfaan Ali has rejected the most recent declaration by Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro which once again falsely claims Essequibo as part of his country’s territory.
“On January 7th, the President of Venezuela…issued a decree claiming for Venezuela sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River [however] sovereignty over this coast, and the land territory to which it is attached, were awarded to Guyana in the 1899 Arbitral Award,” Ali reminded in an address to the nation yesterday.
In response to Maduro’s action, Guyana has summoned the Officer-in-Charge of the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown to a meeting and alerted the International Community, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Americas, of the danger to international peace and security that is being threatened by last Thursday’s decree, which violates fundamental principles of international law.