After almost seven hours of meeting, the foreign ministers of Guyana and Venezuela ended the meeting in Brasília, this Thursday (25), without a consensus on the dispute that the two countries have been waging over Essequibo. On the other hand, the representatives stated that peace must guide the negotiations. The two countries have faced a climate of tension in recent months after the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, started to demand and threaten a forced occupation of the Essequibo region, a territory rich in oil and natural resources that belongs to Guyana.
Brokered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, the foreign ministers of Guyana, Hugh Hilton Todd, and Venezuela, Yvan Gil, stated that they are looking for a “peaceful” way to decide on the dispute. In a press conference after the meeting, Vieira highlighted the need to find a solution through dialogue between the two parties.
“At today's meeting, Venezuela and Guyana expressed their understanding regarding the commitment made in the Argyle Declaration. They committed themselves, recognizing the difference between sides, to continue dialoguing based on the parameters established by the declaration”, said the Brazilian minister. The declaration cited by Vieira was signed on December 14, when Caracas and Georgetown committed to holding meetings with the intention of dealing with the impasse over Essequibo peacefully. Brazil positioned itself as an intermediary in these debates.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil called the meeting a “triumph of diplomacy” and stated that Nicolás Maduro is willing to reach an amicable solution to resolve the difference with Guyana. “No party will resort to the threat or use of […] Maduro is willing to look for alternatives that allow us to find a mutually acceptable solution for both countries,” he stated.
Gil also said that Venezuela “rejects” the “possibility that third parties could interfere and benefit from possible conflicts in both countries”. The statement came after the United States and United Kingdom made themselves available to provide assistance to Guyana in the event that Caracas decides to invade the country.
Guyana wants international support in the dispute
On the other hand, the Chancellor of Guyana, Hugh Hilton Todd, stated that the country will follow its determinations based on international law and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “Guyana is working hard to resolve the dispute with Venezuela through international law and dialogue,” he said.
In December, Nicolás Maduro promoted a referendum among Venezuelans to measure popular “opinion” about the autocrat's desire to annex the Essequibo region to Venezuela. In one of the questions asked to voters, the dictator asked what the public's opinion was about the possibility of the government not following ICJ determinations regarding the territory.
“We believe in the rules of international law and agreements. We believe in resolving all problems peacefully”, said the Guyanese chancellor. “We are confident that, at the next meeting, we will advance the discussion and dialogue, with a commitment to peace across the continent,” he said.
Todd also said that the conflict with Venezuela “is not the end of the world” and that the two countries can resolve themselves and “move forward”. At this Thursday's meeting (25), the expectation was that the countries would also discuss the bilateral relationship and partnership. The foreign ministers said that the two parties made progress in dialogue regarding trade in raw materials, combating cross-border crime and climate change.
#Guyana #Venezuela #speak #peace #region #meeting #Brasilia #reach #agreement