…Guyana probes reports of Venezuelan aircraft in mapping exercise

THE Government of Guyana views with much concern reports emanating from the Venezuelan press that suggest that country’s Government is conducting over- flights of Guyana with the aim of updating its atlas.Foreign Affairs Minister and acting Prime Minister Carl Greenidge told reporters on Wednesday night that the APNU+AFC Government is extremely concerned about Venezuela’s escalating claims to Guyana.
“We have as recently as last week left with the secretary-general a document which sets out our concerns of the escalating behaviour of Venezuela towards us, escalating claims and about the consequences of some of the steps they are taking.”
Minister Greenidge said while Guyana has not been able to confirm the information published in the Venezuelan press, strong concerns linger.
“The published information suggesting that they are carrying out overflights over the Essequibo with a view to completing an atlas of Venezuela which would include two-thirds of Guyana. They are doing a digital mapping of the area with the purpose of getting the details. But the overflights themselves are illegal in international law,” he said.
According to the minister, if the reports from the Venezuelan press are proven true, “then these are serious matters”.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been informed of Guyana’s concerns said the Foreign Affairs Minister, who noted that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been provided with the reports out of Venezuela with the view of them following it up.
“This has to be substantiated,” he said. Government’s increased concern follows the 117th anniversary of the 1899 Arbitral Award observed on October 3.
Guyana has held steadfast that it has upheld and respected the 1899 Award and will defend its validity at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest International Court.
Guyana in a statement on Tuesday said Venezuela’s utterance on the anniversary of the 1899 Arbitral Award is “vituperative,” while noting that its Spanish-speaking neighbour has sought to spew falsehoods about the award.
Guyana has also said that Venezuela’s statement has proven the country “unworthy of a law-biding member of the international community”.
On Tuesday, a Venezuelan newspaper El Universal reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela said that the award represented fraud perpetuated on the Venezuelan Government by Guyana.
“In a communiqué, Venezuela claimed that Guyana has referred to ‘false protections based on lies and subterfuge’ to bring about an aggression situation against the country,” El Universal reported.
According to the report, Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ratified its commitment to peace in order to find a solution to the border dispute for the Essequibo region, while stressing the country’s appeal to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to resume the Good Officers process.
The statement by Venezuela which referred to the Essequibo as part of Venezuela, also stated that the current administration has been motivated by “dark transnational interests and imperial favour for corporate centres, has taken an arbitrary, illegal and unilateral action by attempting to rebut the Geneva Accord and try to wriggle out of the Good Officer’s process”.
Meanwhile, when asked about Guyana’s capacity to monitor its landmass given the reports emanating from Venezuela, Minister Greenidge acknowledged that the GDF’s ability to monitor the entire land and maritime space is limited.
“… but we have other ways of getting this information,” he said, making reference to international cooperation.
He described the reported overflights by Venezuela as “irresponsible and dangerous,” while noting that this position has been put to the UN Secretary- General who is set to demit office in December.
“It is something we view with the greatest concern,” said Minister Greenidge.
Guyana has maintained its position that the Good Officer’s process has not proven successful, and as such, the only road to recourse is the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Venezuela has continued to mount its claim to the Essequibo region following the discovery of significant oil offshore by US Oil Giant ExxonMobil last year.