Comprised of former heads of government in south and central America, leaders of The Freedom and Democracy Group yesterday chided Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and his government for the “undemocratic” and “unilateral” approach in treating the matter concerning the Guyana border controversy, without respect for international law.
The group in a statement “categorically” reaffirmed that the way to resolve differences between States is through bilateral agreements and mechanisms established by international law.
The freedom and democracy group believes that dialogue, agreements and full respect for international law are the only way to achieve peaceful, just and sustainable solutions over time.
Former President of Colombia, Ivan Duque; former President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera; former President of Colombia Andrés Pastrana; former President of Paraguay Mario Abdo and former President of Bolivia Jorge Tuto Quiroga stated that the territorial controversy between Guyana and Venezuela has been properly submitted to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, which is the competent body to resolve it.
The former heads of government firmly believe that the opportunistic holding of the referendum on 3 December was not a valid mechanism for resolving territorial issues between sovereign States, the
statement said.
“We condemn Venezuela’s attempt to use this tool to legitimize a serious threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Guyana, international law and peace in the region”, the policy-makers posited.
The statement also repudiated the use of this conflict to justify the arrest warrants against 13 opposition leaders, including members of the task force of presidential candidate María Corina Machado.
The group is adamant that the public presentation of a map of Venezuela, which takes Venezuela’s territory of Guyana Esequiba, the movement of troops of the Venezuelan Army on the border, the administrative creation of a new region called Guyana Esquiquiba, and the aggressive rhetoric used by Maduro during the last days, are made of the “utmost” gravity and that must alert the international community, and especially the United Nations and the OAS.
