The United States continues to closely monitor Venezuela’s escalating aggressive stance towards this country and its disrespect of the ICJ (International Court of Justice), and yesterday warned against any violence or conflict here.
“It’s concerning. We’re watching this very, very, very closely,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the press yesterday.
“The arbitral decision needs to be respected. We obviously don’t want to see any violence occur here or conflict occur, and we’re obviously in touch with all our partners,” he added.
US President Joe Biden is also personally following the events as “obviously the president is aware of what’s going on,” White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, also noted yesterday, when questioned.
On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States supports a peaceful resolution to the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana and thinks it cannot be settled through a referendum.
“This is not something that will be settled by a referendum,” the State Department spokesperson added in relation to the vote in Venezuela on Sunday.
United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has been calling on Venezuela to support the current territorial sovereignty of Guyana, as that country has agreed, under the 1899 arbitral decision, that the area in question belongs to this country.
The American envoy’s views regarding the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy mirror that expressed by Assistant US Secretary of State, Brian Nichols.
“…that we support and respect the 1899 arbitral award that established the current boundaries of Guyana and we believe that those should be respected until they are determined to be different by an international body, particularly the ICJ,” Theriot had said late last month.
“So, we support the current territorial sovereignty of Guyana and we call on Venezuela to do the same,” she added.
Asked what happens if Venezuela doesn’t, she replied, “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
