This Monday, April 8, Venezuela presented documents to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to defend its sovereignty over Essequibo, an oil-rich territory under the administration of its neighbor Guyana; However, it reiterated that it does not recognize its jurisdiction to settle the dispute.
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“Venezuela today presented all the documentation,” said the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, on Monday, April 8, when calling on his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, to resume negotiations.
“Sooner rather than later, Guyana will have to sit down and negotiate with Venezuela.”
Venezuela submitted to the ICJ, in The Hague, Netherlands, a document and its respective copies, which point out “the historical truth and evidence that demonstrate that we are the only ones with title to the territory of Guayana Esequiba,” the vice president reported in X. Venezuelan, Delcy Rodríguez.
The truth of Venezuela will prevail against the territorial dispossession committed through a fraudulent and criminal award. All of Venezuela, in national union, will recover Guayana Esequiba through the Geneva Agreement. It's time for the truth! pic.twitter.com/4sltmUH0pa
— Delcy Rodríguez (@delcyrodriguezv) April 8, 2024
Guyana asks the ICJ to ratify an 1899 award in which the current borders were established, while Venezuela claims the Geneva Agreement, signed in 1966 with the United Kingdom before Guyanese independence, which annulled that award and established bases for a solution negotiated.
“The delivery of this document does not imply the consent of Venezuela or the recognition of the jurisdiction of the Court in the territorial controversy over Guayana Esequiba, nor of the decision it may adopt,” Rodríguez said when reading a statement on state television.
Guyana, meanwhile, received with “satisfaction” Venezuela's decision to present arguments: “With the presentations of both States before it, the Court will be able to take into account all the arguments and evidence and issue a ruling.”
Venezuela enacted a law that designates Essequibo as a new Venezuelan state, Guayana Esequiba, while denouncing the installation of “secret military bases” by the United States.
Read alsoMaduro promulgates “defense law” of the disputed Essequibo area; Guyana warns that it will not tolerate it
Georgetown considered that this instrument “constitutes a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law” and senior officials announced this Monday that Ali asked the UN Security Council to debate the situation this Tuesday.
Guyana's Foreign Minister, Hugh Todd, told AFP that Guyana was waiting for that body to make “a statement” about “the threat from Venezuela.”
The century-old controversy over this 160,000 km2 territory rich in oil and other natural resources has intensified since 2015 after the discovery of deposits by the oil company ExxonMobil.
“We are not trying to deprive anyone of anything. ExxonMobil keeps repeating to the president of Guyana that Venezuela wants to take something from him… but that is from Venezuela!” questioned Maduro.
Escalating tensions in recent months have raised fears of a regional conflict. Ali and Maduro met in December and both governments agreed not to threaten each other or use force.
With AFP
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