— says President; GDF actively monitoring Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone

By Navendra Seoraj
A PEACEFUL conclusion to its border controversy with Venezuela remains Guyana’s aim, but with the opposing state insisting on aggression, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and President of Guyana Dr. Irfaan Ali, has affirmed that his nation will not cower in the face of threats against national security.
“As President of our beloved country, my single most important responsibility is to keep the Guyanese people safe. It is the first thing I think about when I wake [up] in the morning. It is the last thing on my mind at night. And my working day is consumed by it.

“But, I want no mistake about it: my government is doing all in its power to vigorously protect our people’s health and our country’s territorial integrity. Just as we will not relent in the battle against COVID-19, so will we not bend to threats to our national security…we may be a small country, but we are a proud people. We have no military might, but we have moral and legal right. We pick fights with no one, but we will resist threats from anyone,” President Ali said during a passionate address to the nation on Saturday at State House.
In resisting threats, Guyana, the President said, will seek the protection of international law and the support of the international community. The ongoing Guyana-Venezuela border controversy relates to a more than century-old disagreement, which arose as a result of Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899, which outlines and settles the boundary between the two nations, was null and void.

In March 2018, Guyana filed its application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking an affirmation of the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the international boundary that it established. The ICJ ruled on December 18, 2020, that it has jurisdiction to hear the border controversy case.

Guyana is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgment that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela. Venezuela has said, for the longest while, that it is not interested in having this matter resolved by the court. And, from all indications, Venezuela remains seemingly bent on arbitrarily laying claim to Guyana’s territory, with that country’s naval forces increasingly intruding on Guyana’s maritime space.
Increased activity by Venezuelan naval vessels and other forces in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) started after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River.

Despite outright condemnation of Venezuela’s latest claims and global recognition of Guyana’s sovereign rights over the contested area, a naval vessel attached to the Bolivarian Republic, just days after the issuance of the decree, entered Guyana’s territory and abducted 12 fishermen, who remain detained in Venezuela.

Guyana has so far informed its sister states in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the international community, including the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the recent acts by Venezuela.
A majority of those stakeholders have since announced their support for Guyana, called for the release of the detained fishermen and for a peaceful conclusion to the controversy by means of the ICJ.

Guyana’s immediate concern, however, remains the safe recovery of citizens who, along with their vessel–the Lady Nayera and Sea World–are being detained by Venezuela’s military at Port Guiria in Venezuela.

This remains the case despite Guyana’s formal protest to the Venezuelan authorities through diplomatic channels. Guyana has registered to the Government of Venezuela its protest in the strongest possible terms, at this unlawful and aggressive action against the state and people of Guyana and has insisted upon the immediate release and return of the two Guyanese vessels and their crews.

Both President Ali and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, have affirmed that everything is being done to secure the early release of the men and their vessels. In the interim, the government, according to the President, has been engaging the families to ensure that tangible and psychosocial support is provided. The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, will be meeting soon with the families to outline a more formal course of action.
“We indicated to the family that the executive is concerned and will do everything to ensure that their loved ones and vessels are retuned to Guyana,” President Ali said.
An arm of comfort was also extended by the President to the entire nation when he said that the government remains committed to protecting Guyana amid the increasing presence of Venezuelan forces in local waters.

ACTIVELY MONITORING
“The GDF [Guyana Defence Force] has been actively monitoring and informing me as to the various developments in relation to the EEZ,” President Ali said, noting that monitoring has increased.

Chief-of-Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, who was also present at the briefing with President Ali, said that Venezuelan ships were first spotted in Guyana’s EEZ on January 14, 2021.

The specific coordinates of this intrusion, as outlined by Brigadier Bess, are 60 nautical miles east of the median line and 25 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana. This intrusion continued and was last noted by the GDF on January 27, 2021.
“We continue to log their operations and inform the Foreign Ministry of their operations…we are patrolling the EEZ to ensure our presence is felt,” the Chief-of-Staff said.
Based on what was said by Adviser on Borders at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Carl Greenidge, this approach by the army seems ideal because, in his view, Guyana has to maintain its presence in the EEZ.
In providing an explanation, Greenidge, who is also the former Foreign Affairs Minister, said: “Venezuela would be happy if all Guyanese get up and leave… you have to avoid this and be aware of the risks…what Venezuela would like to see is the abandonment of our marine resources.”

WELL-POSITIONED
While not responding directly to Greenidge’s advice, Brigadier Bess said Guyana’s soldiers are strategically positioned to ensure that Guyana’s patrimony is upheld and that the defence objectives continue to be a main objective.

He affirmed that the GDF is committed to protecting Guyana from any threat. But, as it is now, the order of the day remains the use of defence diplomacy to settle the matter peacefully.
“We continue to work with regional partners and we continue to monitor the sea space…we are there by air and we will also continue to ensure that we have information sharing with fisher folks and other stakeholders,” the Chief-of-Staff said.

President Ali said too that the government has informed its territorial neighbours about the increased presence by Venezuelan vessels in Guyana’s waters.
“What the Venezuelans are pursuing also has implications for immediate neighbours…we have been engaging them. The engagement has been responsible and active,” the President said.
Ideally, in international relations, the first response of allies and of the international community is to use diplomatic means. As explained by Greenidge, the first reaction to aggression, as is the case with Venezuela, is not to meet breaches with forces, but to bring the pressure diplomatically and then escalate when it is deemed necessary.

The most recent international stakeholder to add its voice to this matter has been the United Nations (UN) through Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. According to President Ali, Guterres in a letter made reference to January 30, 2018, when he chose the ICJ as the means to be used for solution of the controversy.

The secretary-general acknowledged that the court is proceeding to adjudicate the merits of the case.
“Guyana is fully committed to the ICJ process. We believe international law and independent international jurists of the highest calibre offer the most credible and definitive way in which to put an end to the Venezuelan contention.  Therefore, we will continue to pursue that course,” President Ali said.

At the same time, however, Guyana, he said, is not averse to engaging Venezuela on bilateral matters in which we have a common interest.
However, such discussions while welcome, especially if the UN Secretary-General wishes to play a good offices role, will have to be preceded by a clear demonstration by Venezuela that it will desist from any further acts of aggression against Guyana, starting with the release of the Guyanese fishermen and their vessels.