๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐
One week ago, the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana issued a statement denouncing the aggressive new measures taken by Venezuela in furtherance of its groundless and unlawful territorial claim to Guyanaโs Essequibo Region. These new measures included a purported national referendum to ratify the Venezuelan governmentโs apparent decision to withdraw from the present judicial proceedings in the International Court of Justice and proceed unilaterally to incorporate the Essequibo Region into its own national territory as an integral part of Venezuela. Guyana properly characterized this naked threat of territorial aggression as: โnothing less than the annexation of Guyanaโs territory, in blatant violation of the most fundamental rules of the UN Charter, the OAS Charter and general international law.โ Guyanaโs statement added that: โSuch a seizure of Guyanaโs territory would constitute the international crime of aggression.
Following Guyanaโs statement, CARICOM issued a strongly worded denunciation of Venezuelaโs measures, fully supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.
Yesterday, in further response to Venezuelaโs sinister plan for seizing Guyanese territory, Guyana sought the urgent protection of the International Court of Justice, by filing with the Court a Request for Provisional Measures. In that Request, Guyana seeks from the Court an Order preventing Venezuela from taking any action to seize, acquire or encroach upon, or assert or exercise sovereignty over, the Essequibo Region or any other part of Guyanaโs national territory, pending the Courtโs final determination of the validity of the Arbitral Award that established the land boundary between our two States, and the final and binding nature of that boundary. Guyana has no doubt of the validity of that Arbitral Award and the land boundary, which Venezuela accepted and recognized as the international boundary for more than 60 years.
Because of the urgency of the matter, Guyana has asked the Court to schedule oral hearings on its Request at the earliest possible date in advance of December 3, 2023, the date Venezuela has fixed for its sham referendum.
Guyana insists, as does CARICOM, the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and Organization of American States, and the entire international community, that the controversy over the validity of the Arbitral Award and the land boundary must be resolved by the International Court of Justice, which will assure a just, peaceful, binding and permanent solution to this matter, in accordance with international law. In fact, the Court itself has determined, in two separate Orders, that it has the exclusive jurisdiction to resolve this matter, and that it will do so.
Twice Venezuela has formally objected to the Courtโs jurisdiction, and both times the Court overwhelmingly rejected Venezuelaโs objections.
In the interim, pending the oral hearing on its request and the issuance of the Courtโs Order, Guyana urges CARICOM and the international community to continue reminding Venezuela of its obligations under international law, including its obligation to accept the ICJโs jurisdiction, plead its case to the Court, and comply with the Courtโs rulings and Judgments.
October 31, 2023
