The US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot wants Nicolas Maduro Administration in Venezuela to respect Guyana’s territorial integrity and its borders.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday night, the recently accredited US Ambassador 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.

Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud held talks yesterday with the Assistant US Secretary of State.

On Tuesday, the British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller said the United Kingdom (UK) is closely monitoring the latest on the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, and the planned referendum by Venezuela.

On the sidelines of a trade mission exercise, the British High Commissioner said the UK Government is in constant contact with its counterparts here in Guyana.  

“So, we regularly talk to the authorities here in Guyana, we talk to our colleagues in Caracas, we talk to our colleagues in London to see what’s going on,” High Commissioner Miller said.

The British High Commissioner said the UK stands with the people of Guyana, and maintains that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, remains valid.

“Back in 1899, there was an international arbitral award done, and the UK that remains valid, that’s not news, that has been for decade our line, and we remain clear, that is our line,” High Commissioner Miller said.

Venezuela is hoping to secure nationwide support to bolster its claims of Guyana’s Essequibo Region with the planned referendum.

Guyana has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue provisional measures to block questions in the referendum that reference the matter before the Court and the Essequibo region.

(Svetlana Marshall)

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