British Foreign Secretary David Cameron yesterday said that Venezuelan assurances given at a meeting with Guyana and observers on Thursday in St Vincent and the Grenadines must be followed by “concrete actions”
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs said “The statement by Venezuela in St Vincent that it will refrain from the use of force and any further escalation is welcome. And it must be followed by concrete actions”.
He said that the UK supports the efforts by St Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves to promote peace in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Sovereign borders must be respected. The UK will continue to work with our partners in the region and internationally to ensure respect for Guyana’s sovereignty”, he said.
Cameron, a former British Prime Minister, also announced that Minister for the Americas, David Rutley will visit Guyana in the coming days to further show the UK’s support for the Guyanese people on this vital issue.
At Thursday’s meeting. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro subscribed to a joint declaration which “Agreed that Guyana and Venezuela, directly or indirectly, will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances, including those consequential to any existing controversies between the two States”.
This was a key undertaking as Venezuelan aggression in recent months over its claim to the county of Essequibo had come with a threat of military action.
They also agreed that “… both States will refrain, whether by words or deeds, from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them. The two States will cooperate to avoid incidents on the ground conducive to tension between them. In the event of such an incident the two States will immediately communicate with one another, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), and the President of Brazil to contain, reverse and prevent its recurrence”.
The discussions were facilitated by the Prime Minister Gonsalves, the Pro-Tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Chairman of the Caribbean Community, Roosevelt Skerrit. A number of observers were also at the meeting including former Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim.
