The Government of Guyana has expressed “grave concern” over the announcement that the Venezuelan National Assembly has declared Essequibo, which constitutes two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory, to be a constituent part of Venezuela.
A release yesterday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, has declared such action as a “flagrant violation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and … in breach of the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the United Nations Charter.” It further noted that it is an “egregious” violation of the Order on provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as well as a violation of the Argyle Declaration of December 14, 2023, agreed to by the leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Brazil, the representative of the United Nations Secretary General, and the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela.