Latest update February 8th, 2025 6:23 PM
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Seeking a peaceful resolution
It is very unfortunate that Venezuela, which was highly appreciated by Guyanese for its PetroCaribe
agreement that has helped Guyana’s rice industry and the country to avoid the cost of high oil prices on the world market, has continued its hostility towards Guyana. During the past year, Venezuela’s aggression towards Guyana has essentially ruined relations between the two countries. The neighbouring country showed utter contempt for Guyana when it threatened to annex two-thirds of Guyana, its deployment of troops, tanks and gunboats to the border and its unstatesman-like language.
Guyana took its case to the United Nations and other international and regional fora in order to have a peaceful settlement and for President Nicolás Maduro to acknowledge the 1899 Tribunal Agreement. With the defeat of President Maduro’s ruling party in the elections last December, Guyana had hoped for a change of policy from Caracas, but such hopes vanished last week when Venezuelan troops fired on officers from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) who were on an inspection exercise in the Arau area. This is not what friendly nations do to one another. President Maduro’s actions are offensive to Guyana and could have serious consequences.
It is true that the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela was settled by a Tribunal in 1899 in Britain’s favour, which had represented Guyana’s interest. Venezuela had placed its trust in the United States to negotiate on its behalf. Therefore the reopening of negotiations in 1966 was agreed to by Guyana, not as an offer to engage in substantive talks about the revision of the disputed area, but to dispel any doubts which the Venezuela government had about the validity of the 1899 Tribunal Award.
The deploying of troops on the border by President Maduro was meant to embarrass the Guyana government. Not only did Venezuela withdraw its ambassador from Guyana, but it also delayed the granting of accreditation to Guyana’s ambassador to that country. Further, Venezuela’s claims that its troops were merely conducting military exercises on its border are hypocritical. A military exercise would not warrant the deployment of large amount of troops, missiles, gunboats and tanks.
President Maduro acted as though he could have fooled the world, but he ended up fooling himself. Most leaders knew that his recent threat to annex the county of Essequibo was in direct response to the announcement by the Guyana government that the American oil giant, Exxon Mobil had found large quantities of high quality crude oil in Guyana’s waters.
Maduro ought to know that although Guyana is outmatched military, it will not surrender any of its territory without some form of resistance, which could prove more costly than the value of the disputed area being claimed by Venezuela. The term “not a blade of grass” which was coined by Guyana’s Prime Minister, the late Forbes Burnham in opposition to Venezuela’s claim, remains deeply ingrained in the Guyanese psyche.
President David Granger, in his address to the United Nations last September has made it quite clear that Guyana has accepted the 1899 Tribunal Award and has remained hopeful that the 116-year-old dispute will be adjudicated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He also stated that since 1966, the border dispute has scared away potential investors from the area and this has had a negative impact on Guyana to exploit its hydro-carbon resources.
President Maduro has undermined all efforts to settle the matter peacefully at the ICJ, despite his promise to do so and to maintain cordial relations with Guyana. His abrupt cancellation of the PetroCaribe agreement with Guyana last October did not surprise anyone.
Many believe that the attack on GGMC officials by Venezuelan soldiers is contemptuous. Despite some trite remarks from the opposition, Guyana continues to seek a peaceful resolution to the border dispute. It has the support of 2.3 billion people from the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations.
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