The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) last evening urged Venezuela to respect the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) conservatory measures on the border controversy with Guyana and called for a de-escalation of the conflict.
It also pressed for dialogue between the leaders of two countries to ensure peaceful coexistence.
Caricom’s most recent pronouncement came as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) yesterday held consultations, on a request triggered by this country to discuss recent developments since the ICJ’s provisional ruling. That session, according to sources, saw China requesting additional time for Beijing to deliberate on the issue, sources told Stabroek News.
“CARICOM firmly supports Guyana in pursuance of the resolution of its border controversy with Venezuela through the process of the ICJ. Further, CARICOM urges Venezuela to respect the conservatory measures determined by the ICJ in its recent ruling until a final resolution,” the Caricom statement said.
“CARICOM reiterates its commitment to the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and the maintenance of international law. Accordingly, CARICOM calls for a de-escalation of the conflict and for appropriate dialogue between the leaders of Venezuela and Guyana to ensure peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law and the avoidance of the use or threats of force,” it added.
It is unclear how meaningful dialogue between the two countries can ensue since Venezuela has embarked on a campaign to annexe the Essequibo including the appointment of a military commander of the area, the threat against investors in the area and the wide distribution of a new map that includes Essequibo.
At the UNSC meeting, the Guyana and Venezuela matter came up in a closed-door meeting after the council had met and voted on the draft resolution on the situation in Gaza.
Sources told this newspaper that the meeting went well but from discussions, it seems Russia is “leaning in support of Venezuela.”
On Wednesday, Guyana wrote the UNSC, citing Article 35 (1) of the United Nations (UN) Charter, which states that any UN member state “may bring any dispute, or any situation referred to in Article 34 [that is, one that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute] to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly.”
Yesterday’s meeting stemmed from that letter which points to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s defiance of the ICJ orders and his follow-up actions on the December 3 referendum, including the declaration of Essequibo as a new military zone and the establishment of departments of the state-owned oil and mining companies to explore for oil and gas, and mine in the Guyanese county. Maduro has also announced that foreign companies in concessions that have been awarded by Guyana would have to leave within three months.
The 15-member Security Council will peruse documents from Guyana that outline the reasons for approaching the only United Nations body that has the authority to issue resolutions that are binding on member states, seeking it to deliberate and pronounce on the matter. The council is made up of representatives from the five Permanent Members – the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom – which hold veto powers. The 10 Non-Permanent members are Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland. Brazil’s stance will also be of key interest. The Council’s President is rotated on a monthly basis with Ecuador’s José de la Gasca currently performing those functions.
This country has pointed the UNSC to the fact that Maduro has in particular, announced Venezuela’s rejection of the International Court of Justice as the means of settlement of its dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo Region, a decision that was made by UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
President Irfaan Ali has called on the Security Council to “issue a very strong statement to Venezuela in relation to Venezuela breaching the order of the ICJ – an order that can be enforceable.”
He has emphasised that this country is a peaceful one but will not be bullied or allow its sovereignty to be trampled on. As such, a number of precautionary measures have been initiated to ensure the peace and stability of the region. “Should Venezuela proceed to act in this reckless and adventurous manner, the region will have to respond,” he said.
Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd, and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, have said that this country was grateful that the UN body considered this country’s Guyana’s request for its intervention.
“Tomorrow, the United Nations Security Council would be considering the request from Guyana… we’re extremely pleased that they have taken up this matter with this sense of urgency,” Jagdeo had told a press conference at the Office of the President.
Gravity
Todd, explained that Guyana wants the body to “deliberate” on the information it shared and decide on procedures it would enact, given the gravity of the situation.
Bloomberg on Wednesday also reported on a likely mediatory role for Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who it says has long tried to position himself as an independent arbiter in global conflicts and now faces the uncomfortable possibility of having to mediate the crisis between Venezuela and Guyana.
Bloomberg said that Lula, a traditional ally of Venezuela’s Maduro and the late Hugo Chavez, has spent hours in meetings with his top foreign advisers to discuss the conflict, considered highly sensitive by Brazil’s diplomacy, while requesting anonymity since such conversations aren’t made public. The officials also said Lula is planning to call the presidents of both countries over the next few days.
At a conference of the Mercosur regional bloc, Lula posited that Latin America does not need war or conflict. He had also called on the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to mediate between Georgetown and Caracas.
One of Lula’s main concerns now, Bloomberg offered, is to signal to Guyana and the world that his government isn’t automatically aligned with Caracas despite its political closeness.
“While Brazil understands Venezuela’s reasons to claim Essequibo as part of its territory, it doesn’t have an official position on which country has the right to occupy the region, the officials said.
“More importantly, they added, Brazil doesn’t agree with the strategy employed by Caracas – calling a vote to ask the population, among other things, whether Essequibo should become a Venezuelan state – and much less with Maduro’s timing. His December 3 referendum was widely seen by political analysts as a strategy to rally voters with a nationalistic rhetoric ahead of next year’s presidential elections,” Bloomberg reported.
