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Venezuela ramps up naval activity in Guyana’s waters since Maduro’s decree
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Kaieteur News – Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, informed the National Assembly yesterday that Venezuela has ramped up its naval activity in Guyana’s waters, following the January 7, 2021 decree made by President Nicolas Maduro, in which he laid fresh claims to the Essequibo.
In a statement to the National Assembly, Todd noted the increased activity in Guyana’s maritime space by Venezuelan navy vessels and other Venezuelan state assets continues to undermine Guyana’s development.
The Foreign Affairs Minister explained too that “such illegal activity,” threatens Guyana’s sovereign rights of its maritime space and hinders economic activity.According to Todd, this threat was proven in the unfortunate incident of January 21, 2021, when two Guyanese fishing vessels, namely, Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf, were intercepted by Venezuelan naval vessel, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, off the coast of Waini Point (well within Guyana’s territory).
“The crew and both vessels were illegally detained by the Venezuelan Government and are currently still in detention at Port Guiria. Guyana has strongly condemned the illegal detention of its citizens and the illegal seizure of their fishing vessels by the Venezuelan navy. As I speak, my Ministry continues to engage the International community to resolve this issue in the most peaceful and diplomatic manner,” Minister Todd said in the statement.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd.
At the interim, Minister Todd noted that the international community has shown strong support for Guyana with the issue.
He explained that “Individual Member States of CARICOM and the Community as a whole, have denounced the action taken by Venezuela calling upon them to release the crew and vessels.”
The Organization of American States has also issued a statement in which it points out that resolution of the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana is a matter that lies under international jurisdiction, and cannot be settled by unilateral action.
In this regard, Todd stressed that any attempt to derail this international legal process, such as the decree, issued by the Maduro regime is contrary to international law and standards, and has no legal bearing on significance.
“We are encouraged that the international community is seized on this matter and has encouraged Venezuela to release our Guyanese nationals and their fishing vessels and to desist from actions that violate international law and threaten the peace and stability of the region,” Todd said.
So far, Guyana has garnered support from individual member states of the international community including Belize, Brazil, Canada, France, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as through regional and international groupings of CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union in its strenuous endeavours to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela announced during a meeting of the National Defence Council held on January 7, 2021 that he had established “a new maritime territory” of Venezuela, claiming that the territory called “Territory for the development of the Atlantic Façade” should provide adequate protection and safeguard the jurisdiction of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
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