Live
Audio Only
"We must wage a historic battle against one of the most brutal dispossession known in the country: the territory of the Essequibo," the Venezuelan leader said.
On Tuesday, President Nicolás Maduro met with the accredited Venezuelan diplomatic corps abroad to discuss the defense of the Essequibo region.
RELATED:
President Maduro Highlights Support for Essequibo Referendum
"One must understand the historical process to comprehend the struggle we Venezuelans are undertaking and to present our truth amid so much falsehood," he stated.
"We need to increase the dissemination of the Venezuelan truth worldwide, in all languages, and among all peoples because our nation is engaged in a historic and fully constitutional battle for its right to peace and territorial integrity," Maduro said, asserting that Venezuela will defend its "complete" territorial map and historical truth in all forums.
The Bolivarian leader emphasized that the defense of the "complete map," including the nearly 160,000 square kilometers west of the Essequibo River, "is not a matter of a political party but a cause of the Venezuelan nation."
"We must exert tremendous effort to present the truth amid so many lies through which they seek to turn the victim into the perpetrator," he stressed, confirming that members of the Venezuelan National Assembly would also be present at the Essequibo meeting.
"Together with the people, we must wage a historic battle against one of the most brutal dispossession known in the country: the territory of the Essequibo," Maduro said, highlighting that his nation is demonstrating to the world the role of empires in the history of humanity.
These statements were made as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held hearings in The Hague regarding the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo.
Earlier, Guyana requested the International Court to establish provisional measures to prevent a referendum on December 3, when Venezuelans would express their opinion on the sovereignty of their country over the Essequibo.
On Wednesday, Venezuela will speak at the ICJ hearings, where Bolivarian diplomats will reaffirm that Venezuela recognizes the 1966 Geneva Agreement with the United Kingdom as the only legal instrument to resolve the Essequibo dispute. This agreement establishes the foundations for a negotiated solution to the territorial disagreement.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on Monday insisted that Venezuela maintains its historical position of adhering to the 1966 agreement and "does not recognize the obligatory and automatic jurisdiction" of the ICJ.
Newsletter
