Govt. notes Venezuela’s violation of agreement to host free and fair elections

Feb 02, 2024 News

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– mum for now on wider implications for Guyana

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Government says it has taken note of Venezuela’s violation of a key agreement signed in Bridgetown, Barbados last year for opposition members to challenge President, Nicholas Maduro in that nation’s 2024 elections.

Specifically, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo told journalists on Thursday that he is not surprised by Venezuela’s actions but stopped short of sharing his perspective of what the wider implications might mean for Guyana which has a separate agreement with Maduro.  Readers would recall that it was in October last year that the United States had temporarily repealed a handful of sanctions imposed against Venezuela. This came after its government and opposition leaders signed an agreement on conditions for free and fair presidential elections to be held in the second half of 2024.

After the Barbados agreement, the United States gave the green light to oil giant Chevron to do business with Venezuela and even arranged a prisoner swap with Maduro who freed several Americans. The US also granted key licenses so that Trinidad and Tobago could move ahead with a major gas production deal with Venezuela. That deal, critical to the CARICOM state’s declining gas sector, would allow it to produce about 300 million cubic feet of gas per day from the Dragon field located in Venezuela’s maritime borders.

However, Venezuela’s Supreme Court, loyal to Maduro, on Friday last upheld a 15-year ban on the president’s main opponent in elections due this year, Maria Corina Machado. The court also confirmed the ineligibility of a possible opposition stand-in, two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

In response, the Joe Biden administration reimposed sanctions on Venezuela, targeting its oil and gas sector. Specifically, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the United States will not renew a relief to Venezuela’s oil and gas sector beyond its expiration date of April 18.

Additionally, the United States is revoking General License 43, which authorizes transactions between U.S. persons and Minerven, the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company.

Given Venezuela’s wounding of the Barbados agreement, Kaieteur News asked Vice President Jagdeo if government is concerned about what this posture by Maduro could mean for the Argyle Agreement signed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines last year December. That agreement was signed in an effort to keep the peace between Guyana and Venezuela which had been in an aggressive pursuit for the Essequibo region. Venezuela’s tactics reached concerning levels even though there is an ongoing case on the border controversy before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Jagdeo said, “You are dragging me into a minefield.” Dealing first with the US response to Venezuela, Jagdeo said the western superpower has indicated that the exemptions that were given to Venezuela would be allowed to expire in April if Venezuela does not correct the situation as conceived by the Barbados agreement, and that is to allow opposition leaders to run the upcoming elections.

As a result of Venezuela’s actions, he said companies which were contemplating investing in the Spanish speaking country will now be constrained.

With respect to implications for Trinidad and Tobago, Jagdeo said he saw statements from the CARICOM nation, to the effect that their Dragon gas deal is still in the clear, with an extension granted for continued negotiations with Venezuela up to 2025.

“So I don’t want to at this stage say what I truly think but I urge Trinidad and Tobago to be very cautious in those negotiations. Let me don’t get into a minefield because I have been following closely what has been happening. I don’t want to seem as advising Trinidad because they are doing what is good for their country and we have to respect that…,” he said.

Be that as it may, the Vice President said Guyana’s history shows that Venezuela does not respect agreements. As a clear case in point, he said Venezuela continues to reject the 1899 Arbitral Award which emphatically states that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana. “And if they could repudiate that agreement issued by an independent tribunal then it (Venezuela) cannot, in my view, be a trustworthy partner in negotiations until it demonstrates otherwise,” the Vice President said.

With respect to the Argyle Agreement, Jagdeo said it is aimed at implementing confidence building measures. He said however that the government will remain on high alert regarding Venezuela’s extremism.

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• Essequibo, Guyana, Oil and Gas, USA, Venezuela

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