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With massive oil find, Granger seeks urgent settlement of border dispute
Now, more than ever, Guyana has to make swift moves to protect itself against Venezuela’s persistent claims, says President David Granger.
The President says Guyana has its wealth to protect and the Government must ensure that investors in the budding oil industry feel secure with their investment.
Granger said that there is reason to believe that the discovery of commercial oil is what caused Venezuela to issue its most recent decree and accompanying behavior.
“Oil gives a main reason why the settlement is so urgent.”
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on May 27, 2015 issued a decree, extending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters. A map which was issued, accompanying the decree, shows that the claim includes the area where the US giant oil company, ExxonMobil has found Oil and continues to operate.
“I do not know what goes on in Mr. (Nicolas) Maduro’s (President of Venezuela) head and I am sure he now has other preoccupations, but Guyana needs to assure its half a dozen oil explorers that their investments are safe,” said Granger.
“That is one of the main reasons why the settlement of the territorial controversy is so urgent…I will like the UN (United Nations) Secretary General to take the matter to court.”
Under the Geneva agreement that was signed between Guyana and Venezuela over 50 years ago, the UN Secretary General had the role of Good Officer.
Granger said that he has had several engagements with Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, both face to face and via letters. The President said that on each occasion he impressed the need for the UN Head to play his role as outlined under the agreement.
“Simply because Guyana has been bleeding and it is unfair to Guyanese people to have to survive under this cloud,” said Granger.
The President noted that Guyana has had its territorial waters invaded by the Venezuelan navy and continues to be subject to diplomatic harassment which caused investors to shy away.
“It (a settlement) is very important to us and I will continue to urge the UN Secretary General to do what he is supposed to do under the Geneva agreement.”
The President said that Guyana has been very patient and has over the last 50 years exhausted every peaceful means “and the final peaceful means is to have a juridical settlement.”
Granger said that Venezuela has never been interested in having the matter settled in a juridical process “because it knows very well that the entire claim is false, it’s bogus. They know that if the matter goes to court their claim will be thrown out. So Venezuela has not demonstrated any inclination to go to the court,” said Granger.
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