Venezuela Ratifies Paris Arbitration Award Null and Void

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ratified this Tuesday that Venezuela will not give up in the dispute over the Essequibo territory in defense of its territorial integrity.

RELATED:
Maduro Stresses Need To Boost Colombia-Venezuela Trade

On the occasion of the 124th anniversary of the Paris Arbitration Award, Maduro recalled that this document was a maneuver to dispossess the country of the Essequibo. 

"The null, invalid, illegal and immoral Paris Arbitration Award was signed 124 years ago as a result of the Washington Pact, a plot to dispossess Venezuela of the Essequibo territory with fraudulent maneuvers," he said. 

The President highlighted the legitimate and historic sovereignty rights over the Essequibo territory. "We will continue defending the truth, the Essequibo is ours," said Maduro.

The tweet reads, "Venezuela in its legitimate right over the Essequibo ratifies its rejection of the Paris Arbitral Award for violating its sovereignty."

For its part, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on social networks that said document was the result of collusion between the U.S. and the U.K. against Venezuelan territorial integrity. 

"The arrogance of the imperial powers of the time, the falsification of documents and maps, the use of all kinds of trickery and the usurpation of the Venezuelan defense, are only some of the multiple violations of International Law that have been demonstrated and that define this Award as null and void," the Ministry pointed out.

Furthermore, it noted that Venezuela's legitimate right over the Guyanese Essequibo territory has been demonstrated "through titles and documentary evidence" on several occasions. "The Paris Award has been the most shameful and fraudulent action against Venezuela's territorial integrity," the statement added.

The tweet reads, "The Paris Arbitral Award of 1899 was forged behind Venezuela's back. Today, on the 124th anniversary of this null and void verdict, we maintain our unwavering will to defend our territorial integrity. The Sun of Venezuela is born in the Essequibo!"

"The United Kingdom of Great Britain, no longer able to sustain this legal nonsense, agreed to sign, in 1966, the Geneva Agreement and to assign responsibility to Guyana at the time of its birth as a Republic," the ministry said. 

In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Paris document a "deplorable verdict," with which, it said, the British Crown tried to dispossess Venezuela of its territory in the Essequiba Guyana.

The ministry called on the neighboring country to respect said agreement since it constitutes "the only binding document for the resolution of the territorial dispute." The Geneva Agreement establishes that "the only way to resolve the dispute is direct dialogue between the parties."

"Venezuela, maintains its rejection of this legal nonsense and ratifies its unwavering will to exercise the defense of its territorial integrity," the ministry said.

The Venezuelan government has denounced the U.S. conspiracy with ExxonMobil to strip the country of its rights over the territory, which covers some 160,000 square kilometers west of the Essequibo River and is home to large oil reserves.

Maduro has asked Guyana to desist from its "servile" behavior to the interests of the U.S. company and to cease militarization of the area to be delimited. He also proposed on September 24 to Guyanese President Irfaan Ali a meeting to resume dialogue and negotiations on the Essequibo.