President Irfaan Ali and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton have agreed that Guyana’s sovereignty is of paramount importance, and have condemned the flagrant violation of the rule of law by Venezuela and agreed that no effort should be spared to resist that country’s persistent endeavours to undermine Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The two leaders and their delegations met yesterday at the President’s office in wake of Venezuela’s ongoing threats against Guyana and its claims of Guyana’s Essequibo region.

Venezuela has planned a referendum to make the Essequibo region a new state of Venezuela. The Guyana Government and Opposition have rejected the planned referendum.

They further underscored the fact that no Government or the people of one country has the right in international law to seize, annex or conquer the territory of another country.

President Ali and Opposition Leader Norton determined that the questions to be posed in the Referendum to be held by Venezuela on December 3, 2023 violated the sanctity of treaties. Moreover, they are in blatant disregard of the principles of international law.

The President and Opposition Leader in a joint statement said they have agreed that the protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state must be subserved by a vigorous and comprehensive public relations programme and a proactive and robust diplomatic effort aimed at blunting Venezuelan propaganda and misinformation as they relate to the territorial controversy generally, and the Geneva Agreement in particular.

The two reaffirmed the commitment to the current judicial process that is being conducted under the aegis of the International Court of Justice and are convinced that this would finally resolve the question raised by Venezuela over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

The President and Opposition Leader said they recalled that for more than six decades after the 1899 Arbitral Award was delivered, Venezuela treated the Award as a final settlement of the border between the two countries.

To this end, it consistently recognised, affirmed and relied upon the 1899 Arbitral Award as “a full, perfect, and final settlement” of the boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela.

The Leaders noted that in particular, between 1900 and 1905, Venezuela participated in a joint demarcation of the boundary, in strict adherence to the letter of the 1899 Arbitral Award, and emphatically refused to countenance even minor technical modifications of the boundary line described in the Award.

“Venezuela proceeded to formally ratify the demarcated boundary in its domestic law and thereafter published official maps, which depicted the boundary following the line described in the 1899 Award. In July 1931, Venezuela concluded a boundary agreement with Brazil that expressly confirmed the tri-junction point of the boundaries of British Guiana, Venezuela and Brazil as described in the 1899 Award. For more than sixty years, Venezuela gave full effect to that Award, and never raised a concern as to its validity and binding legal effects”.

The President and Opposition Leader have agreed to keep in close consultation on this matter of national importance.

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