U.S. Govt. urges Venezuela not to violate Guyana’s land boundary

Dec 07, 2023 News

– reiterates controversy must be resolved peacefully

Kaieteur News – Meanwhile, the United States (US) Government has said heralded support for a peaceful resolution of the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. Following last Sunday’s referendum which was held in Venezuela, US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller told the media that US wants the controversy over the Essequibo Region to be settled peacefully and that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela should not be violated unless the two countries find another solution or is settled by law.

U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller

“We would urge Venezuela and Guyana to continue to seek a peaceful resolution of their dispute. This is not something that will be settled by a referendum,” Miller told a news briefing on Wednesday. He added that: “I will say that we support a peaceful resolution of the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. The 1899 award determined the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana should be respected unless or until the parties come to a new agreement or a competent legal body decides otherwise,” he said.

The statement follows Venezuela’s Head of State, Nicholas Maduro’s announcement on Tuesday, during which he unveiled a series of steps to take Guyana’s Essequibo Region. The troubling developments follow on the heels of a binding order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last Friday for Venezuela to refrain from any action that would alter Guyana’s control over the Essequibo region. The court also stressed that both Guyana and Venezuela should refrain from any action that would make the case border controversy difficult to settle.

Despite the ruling of the court, Venezuela still insisted that it would take action on the referendum it held on December 3 which sought its citizens support for the annexation of the Essequibo region. Maduro also announced the creation of a new High Commission for the defense of Guayana Esequiba, which goes far beyond the presidential level. The Venezuelan government also said it would activate a debate in the National Assembly for the approval of the Organic Law for the defense of Guayana Esequiba.

boundary, controversy, Matthew Miller, U.S. State Department spokesman, Venezuela

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