The 32nd Congress of the ruling People’s Progressive Party has strongly condemned the actions of the Nicolas Maduro “regime” in Venezuela for attempting to violate Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement yesterday emanating from the three-day congress which ended on Sunday, the PPP said it supports the Government of Guyana in defending “our national territory by all and any means necessary”.
“Additionally, this Congress expresses its total and unqualified support for the wise, calm and mature leadership of the Government of Guyana in maintaining a climate of peace in our country and the region as a whole”, the statement said.
It also expressed gratitude to international partners.
“Further, this Congress extends its deep gratitude to the international community and friendly countries, including, the United States, Britain, Canada, France, European Union, CARICOM and OAS Member States in lending support and solidarity to Guyana on this matter of existential importance”, the statement added.
The preamble to the statement noted that the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela were fully and finally settled by the Arbitral Award of 1899 and conclusively demarcated under that Award in 1905. The Arbitral Award was recognized by all parties as a “full, perfect and final” settlement of the boundaries of Guyana and Venezuela.
Further, Article IV (2) of the Geneva Agreement of 1966 empowered the United Nation’s Secretary General to select the Inter-national Court of Justice (ICJ) as a lawful means for the settlement of the controversy.
“Guyana remains faithful to the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement and opted to utilize the mechanism provided for in the Geneva Agreement to have the matter referred to the ICJ for peaceful resolution, in accordance with Inter-national Law.
“Venezuela, in clear violation of the letter and spirit of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the Geneva Agreement, has taken steps to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana comprising two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory, despite the fact that the matter is currently before the ICJ”, the statement added.
It noted that the ICJ has granted certain Provisional Measures restraining both Venezuela and Guyana from taking any steps to escalate tensions until the matter is heard and determined by the ICJ.
Further, President Irfaan Ali and his counterpart President Nicholas Maduro have entered in good faith, an accord in Argyle, St. Vincent, not to take any further steps to escalate the controversy. Guyana has scrupulously obeyed the ICJ’s Provisional Measures and has done nothing which would conflict with the Argyle Declaration.
“Venezuela, on the other hand, in breach of the letter and spirit of the Provi-sional Measures of the ICJ and the Argyle Accord, recently enacted laws in its Parliament purporting to incorporate Essequibo as a state of Venezuela. These, and other actions of Venezuela, along with its bellicose threats of invasion, are in violation of international law, norms and practices”, the PPP asserted.
Citing a Venezuelan military buildup along several parts of the frontier with this country, US think tank, CSIS, in February posited that Caracas is engaged in a carrot and stick strategy to extract concessions from Guyana even though Georgetown is adamantly pursuing a resolution of the longstanding border controversy before the World Court.
In a February 9th analysis, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published satellite images of a military buildup on the Venezuelan side of the border which it said strongly supported its hypothesis of `compellence’ where Caracas was seeking to wrest concessions from Guyana such as possible joint exploration of natural resources.
