IT is time that the ongoing unfriendly, unreasonable, and unlawful acts being perpetrated against Guyana by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela be brought to a speedy and final conclusion. After more than 50 years of provocation from Venezuela, the people of Guyana have had enough. Since Guyana gained independence, our citizens have never been afforded the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful and predictable existence. Instead, because of Venezuela’s shenanigans, the lives of Guyanese citizens have been characterised by uneasiness, anxiety, and worry. Enough is enough. This publication stands by the administration’s position that Venezuela’s contention that it has any claim to Guyana’s territory is without merit. Similarly, we support, unreservedly, the course of action that has been adopted by President David Granger and the APNU+AFC coalition administration.
Venezuela’s most recent action — the refusal to file a Counter-Memorial (CM) on the court’s jurisdiction by April 18, in defiance of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), — is only the latest in a series of counterproductive moves by our western neighbour. The ICJ had requested the CM after Guyana submitted arguments in November of last year, contending that the ICJ has jurisdiction to hear and rule on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that fixed the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. The ICJ requested the CM, so that the court could hear both sides, but Venezuela refused to tell its side (if it has one).
It all started when Guyana’s territory was inherited from the three colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice — which were all occupied by the Netherlands for over two centuries. In 1814 they were transferred to Great Britain, and in 1831 those three colonies were united to form British Guiana. The borders of British Guyana were therefore established at that time. Later, neighbouring countries challenged those borders and the matter was finally settled, by arbitration, in 1899. That settlement — in which Venezuela was awarded 13,000 square Km of Guyana’s land — was to be full, perfect, and final. Venezuela accepted all of those terms. However, in 1962, Venezuela announced that it would no longer abide by the arbitration decision and renewed its claim to the region.
Guyana has always been a peaceful country, even before our independence. And, despite Venezuela’s views to the contrary, government’s position that there is no “dispute” remains unchanged to this day. After all, everything was settled in 1899. In any case, in the interest of peace, Guyana agreed to sign the Geneva Agreement in February 1966 — three months before independence — which stipulated that any disagreement will be taken to the United Nations (UN) secretary-general who will decide how to settle any issue according to the UN Charter.
Guyana’s hopes for any peace at all were completely dashed when, in October 1966, the Venezuelan National Armed Forces seized the 7 square Km Ankoko Island in the Cuyuni river, after claiming ownership of 150,500 square Km of Guyana’s land covering five of our 10 regions. The Venezuelan army continues to illegally occupy the island, which they use as a base to harass Guyanese miners and provoke our soldiers.
Under the Geneva Agreement, the secretary-general, in 1990, chose the ‘Good Offices Process’ to resolve the matter. However, it became clear that Venezuela had no intention of having a resolution; instead, that country continues to provoke Guyana. Venezuela has, over the years, repeatedly trespassed on Guyana’s territory, sent armed ships into our waters, and engaged in armed aggression. For example, on October 10, 2013, a Venezuelan warship entered Guyana’s waters and, under threat of force, prevented an unarmed vessel, the Teknik Perdana, from conducting surveys. Of course, such behaviour violates international laws and conventions. Venezuela has even published maps that include Guyana’s territory, portraying it as Venezuela’s land.
Clearly, the Good Offices Process had failed. On January 31, 2018, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, referred the controversy to the ICJ for judicial determination that would be final and binding under international law. That option is allowed by the Agreement. But in June 2018, Venezuela declared that it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ, and will not participate in the process.
Obviously, Venezuela has no desire to see an end to matter that it contrived. The reason for this, says President David Granger, is geopolitical. The president asserts that Venezuela wants Guyana’s lands, sub-surface wealth, and access to the Atlantic. Guyana’s oil discoveries can only make the problem worse. In other words, Venezuela created this problem out of pure greed.
The recent refusal by Venezuela to submit the CM to the ICJ has prompted Guyana to request that the ICJ go ahead with the case. The court should now rule on whether it has jurisdiction, and, if it does, it should hear and determine the substantive issue of Venezuela’s claim to our land.
This publication iterates its position: this matter has dragged on for far too long, it needs to end. Guyanese deserve to live with the assurance that no country will be allowed to disturb our peaceful lives. It is underscored too, that the approach being pursued by the APNU+AFC administration is correct; only the current course can lead to a final and indisputable outcome. Further, in matters involving our territory, there can be no equivocation or division. Citizens are therefore urged to support President Granger and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge in bringing an end to this issue.
