Venezuela Reacts to CARICOM's Position on Essequiba Guyana

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it took note of the position adopted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on that country's claim over the Essequiba Guyana territory.

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Venezuela "has taken note of the position taken by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in relation to the claim of Venezuela's legitimate rights over the territory of Essequiba Guyana, as well as with respect to the initiative of the National Assembly to hold a popular consultation on this matter, within the framework of its constitutional powers," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Likewise, it ratified the full documentation of Venezuela's historical rights over the disputed territory. Regarding Guyana's declaration of independence, the statement indicates Caracas' recognition of the new nation, restricted to the territory located on the right bank of the Essequibo River.

"However, despite the fact that Guyana's territorial limits have since been well established, the government of Guyana has pretended to take possession of a territory over which it has no title, nor can it show legal sources to support its pretensions," Venezuela said.

For this reason, Guyana "has been unilaterally disposing of this territory and making abusive use of it," the statement said.

The Venezuelan government denounced the "permanent violation of the mandate contained in the Geneva Agreement, to which is recently added the claim to dispose of the territorial sea adjacent to the claimed area."

Venezuela defends that the Geneva Agreement, signed in 1966, is the one governing this controversy as it is the only legal instrument in force and deposited in the United Nations Organization (UN) to solve the dispute by peaceful means.

In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that, as established in the Geneva agreement, the territorial dispute between the two countries must be resolved in a friendly manner, with a final agreement acceptable to both parties.

It also urged CARICOM to play a constructive role in the face of threats by Guyana, in collusion with the U.S., to promote military aggression against Venezuela.

CARICOM has expressed its rejection of the consultative referendum on Essequiba Guyana to be held on December 3. "International law strictly prohibits the government of one state from seizing, annexing or unilaterally incorporating the territory of another state," the regional organization said in a statement.