The US Government continues to pay close attention to the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, and according to US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, the border issue cannot be settled by any referendum.

During a US State Department press conference in Washington on Monday, Mr. Miller said there should be a peaceful resolution to the controversy.

 “I will say that we support a peaceful resolution of the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. The 1899 award determined the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana should be respected unless or until the parties come to a new agreement or a competent legal body decides otherwise. So we would urge Venezuela and Guyana to continue to seek a peaceful resolution of their dispute. This is not something that will be settled by a referendum”, the US State Department spokesman said.

Just last week, the US National Security Adviser was briefed on the border controversy and the Venezuelan referendum by Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.

The US has been steadfast in its support of Guyana, repeatedly making it clear that the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the border, be respected.

Last week, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot called on the Nicolas Maduro Administration in Venezuela to respect Guyana’s territorial integrity and its borders.

She said the US has not shifted its position on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.   

“We support and respect the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the current boundaries of Guyana, and we believe that those should be respected until they are determined to be different by an international body such as the ICJ. So, we support the current territorial sovereignty of Guyana and we call upon Venezuela to do the same,” Ambassador Theriot told reporters.

In a show of support for Guyana amid the rising tension, the Assistant US Secretary of State, Brian Nicholas, in September said, “efforts to infringe upon Guyana’s sovereignty are unacceptable.”

He too called on Venezuela to respect the 1899 Arbitral Award.

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