AFC calls on Maduro to lift "trade embargo" against Guyana

One of the political parties that make up Guyana’s coalition government is calling on the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela to reverse the trade embargo that it has imposed against Guyana.

Venezuela stopped its Petro Caribe rice for oil deal with Guyana as Guyana objected to its border claims.

Guyana’s Alliance for Change (AFC) made the appeal on Tuesday, just days after the opposition Democratic Union Coalition (MUD) secured a resounding victory during midterm elections held on Sunday in the neighboring country.

The coalition has secured two-thirds of Venezuela’s parliamentary seats.

The mid-term elections, however, did not alter presidential powers, which are still in the hands of Mr. Nicolas Maduro.

“The AFC renews its commitment, being part of the APNU+AFC Coalition government, to working with the people of Venezuela towards closer co-operation on matters of mutual interest and benefit to our peoples. In this regard, the AFC believes that it is still possible for the Maduro regime to reverse its trade embargo against Guyana, in the interest of continued good neighbourly relations between our peoples,” the Party said in a statement.

Guyana continues to rally the international community against Venezuela’s claims to Guyanese territory.

The decades old controversy between the two countries flared up just after the May 11 general elections in Guyana which resulted in a change of government.

The controversy was reignited just after United States oil giant, Exxon Mobil, announced the discovery of large oil deposits offshore Guyana.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

Maduro has been leading Venezuela’s claims, but recently agreed during a United Nations facilitated meeting with Guyana’s Head of State, David Granger to restore diplomatic relations which had broken down.

However, despite the restoration of those relations with the exchange of each other’s Ambassador, Venezuela has refused to renew the rice for oil deal which had existed between the two countries for years under the PetroCaribe agreement.