GEORGETOWN.– The president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, reaffirmed that his position in the controversy over Essequibo remains “non-negotiable” and that there will be “no commitment”, because the decision is in the hands of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)reported the Guyanese media Guyana Chronicle.
In a message addressed to the country this Sunday, December 10, the head of state expressed his “unwavering” position on the border issue, after referring to the meeting he will hold with the ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, next Thursday, December 14, at 10:00 am, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
“This matter is before the ICJ and that is where it will be resolved. There are no negotiations on this, there is no commitment on this. As you know, the ICJ has already issued orders that called on Venezuela to guarantee that the status quo is maintained,” said the Guyanese president during the live broadcast to the country, according to the media.
Jurisdictional position vis-à-vis Venezuela
The controversy over the extension of Guyana Esequiba, which has been going on for a century, was fueled in January 2023, when Venezuela detained two Guyanese-flagged fishing boats in jurisdictional waters, as alleged, which was refuted by that country that decided to break relations with Venezuela. until “the aggression ceases.”
President Ali has since made it clear that there is no room for reaching an agreement on the border issue being heard at the ICJ.
The Guyanese head of state insisted that outside of the ICJ there will be no decision and made reference to the calls of this instance for Venezuela to maintain the status quo in the face of threats of incursion of the disputed territory by the Maduro regime. .
A couple of days ago, the government of Guyana announced in a statement the meeting between the two States under the auspices of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) “to discuss matters relevant to the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela”, according to the text.
Guyana and supports
During his address, Ali expressed gratitude for the supports of governments.
“We are tremendously proud of the level of partnership, the expanded partnership and the strength of our partnership,” said President Ali, assuring that collaborative activities, training programs and exchange initiatives with allies will proceed as planned Guyana noted Chronicle
He reiterated that Guyana’s commitment is to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
Source: Guyana Chronicle, Diario Las Américas editorial office
