Gov’t, opposition slam Venezuela over further escalation of illegal claim

President Irfaan Ali (left) and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shaking hands at one of their meetings that resulted in the signing of Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between the two countries in St Vincent in December last year. (Office of the President photo)

The government and the opposition yesterday condemned Venezuela’s latest activation of legislation to annex Guyana’s Essequibo region, noting that it violates the Argyle Agreement signed in December last year.

Georgetown put Caracas on notice that it will not countenance any decision that impugns this country’s sovereignty.

“The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has taken note of the action taken today, April 3, 2024, by the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to promulgate ‘the Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba’. This attempt by Venezuela to annex more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory and make it part of Venezuela is an egregious violation of the most fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Charter of the Organisation of American States and customary international law,” the government said in a statement through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.