Guyana’s Agent for the current border case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and former Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge, has called out Venezuela for using sections of the Geneva Agreement to suit its own narrative, while still laying claim to Guyana’s territory.

Declaring Venezuela’s continued posture as problematic for Guyana and the Caribbean region. Mr. Greendige told a symposium organized by the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago that Venezuela is fully aware of the illegality of its actions.

He made specific reference to the upcoming referendum by Venezuela on Guyana’s Essequibo region.

“And of course, Guyana would have been completely bonkers talking about or setting out the mechanism, whereby three-quarter of its territory is to be absorbed by Venezuela and that it agreed to the mechanism. It never did!” Greenidge said.

Mr. Grenidge said Venezuela seems to be embracing “its own truth”. He said Guyana is confident that the International Court of Justice will rule on this matter in its favor when the substantive case is determined.

“The Court has been asked—the 1899 agreement signed by the two parties, does that agreement still stand. Is it valid?  And if it is not valid, then Venezuela has an opportunity to question its validity and the things that follow.

Also speaking at the event, retired Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Dr. Gary Best, said Venezuela’s aggression is partly because it knows it cannot legally get the Essequibo region from Guyana.

“The Republic of Guyana consistently declared in successive constitutions only that territory it received at Independence from the United Kingdom. Guyana conducted no type of hegemonic acts against the people and territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Guyana,” Dr. Best said.

He pointed out that Venezuela continues to be the aggressor.

Dr. Best said Venezuela’s continued rejection of the 1899 Arbitral Award as a full and final settlement for the border dispute goes against the spirit of its own Constitution at Article 10, which, accepted the award.

Related posts:

Greenidge tells International Court that Venezuela’s planned referendum threatens peace and security of Guyana and the Caribbean region Guyana Government rejects Venezuela’s referendum seeking to make Guyana’s Essequibo a Venezuelan state; International Community alerted Guyana Government observes 124th anniversary of 1899 settlement of border dispute with Venezuela UN Secrteary General meets with Guyana’s Foreign Minister