BRASILIA.- The government of the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his “concern” about the escalation of tensions between Venezuela y Guyana in relation to the Essequibo, a region rich in oil. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement this Friday, expressing its concern over the latest developments surrounding the litigation in the Essequibo region.
More than 5,600 Venezuelan troops participated on Thursday in military exercises ordered by dictator Nicolás Maduro, in response to the presence of a British warship in Guyana. Although the latter country denied having offensive intentions towards Caracas, the arrival of HMS Trent altered a fragile truce in the century-old territorial dispute over the Essequibo, administered by Guyana.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry expressed its position, indicating that military demonstrations of support for either party should be avoided to allow the current dialogue process to produce positive results. Since the beginning of tensions, Lula’s government has sought to mediate between Caracas and Georgetown with the aim of preventing a war in the region.
The Brazilian government maintains the conviction that regional institutions such as Celac and the Caribbean Community are the appropriate forums to address this issue. In addition, he called for “respect” for the Argyle declaration, reached on December 14, in which Guyana and Venezuela committed to peacefully resolving the dispute.
Source: With information from AFP
