A SWIFT and peaceful end to the increased tension between Guyana and Venezuela is what the European Union (EU) is hoping for, Ambassador of the EU to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, has said.
Venezuela’s posture in the ongoing border controversy with Guyana has been increasingly threatening, with the latest show of aggression being the illegal entry of Venezuelan Sukhoi SU 30 fighter jets into Guyana’s airspace, specifically over Eteringbang, on March 2, 2021.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that two Venezuelan army Sukhoi SU 30 fighter aircraft flew over the community of Eteringbang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and circled the location once, before proceeding in an easterly direction.
The incursion, the Guyana Government said of the two Venezuelan fighter jets, is a clear indication that the Government of Venezuela is prepared to use aggression and intimidation to accomplish what cannot be accomplished by legal means — the surrender by Guyana of its patrimony.

Ambassador Cantó, when asked by the Guyana Chronicle to comment on this issue, said: “The EU has always been in favour of international law and certainly we are supporting international law not only on this problem, but on every problem… and, of course, we also support respect for each other’s territorial integrity.”
He added: “Things have always to be peaceful and not violent, but I have to say that I was also very encouraged by the way that the authorities of Guyana resolved the previous tensions when there was this problem with the Guyanese sailors.”
A naval vessel attached to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela had entered Guyana’s territory and abducted 12 fishermen, who have since been released.
“I think this was resolved in a very relatively rapid and I would say a good way because it was peaceful, it was rapid and the persons could come back home relatively soon. I know that the minister [foreign affairs] personally was very interested that they [the fishermen] were well treated,” the ambassador said.

HOPE TO BE REPLICATED
The diplomacy shown in this instance is the same he hopes will be replicated when dealing with the issue related to the intrusion of Venezuelan fighter jets.
The Government of Guyana has since issued a protest note and exhorted the Government of Venezuela, and its agents, to behave in a manner consistent with international law and good neighbourly relations.
The Government has committed to keeping the international community informed of all actions undertaken by Venezuela to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana and threaten the peace and security of the region.
The Essequibo region is the subject of a territorial controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, predating the former country’s independence from Britain in 1966 and now pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in The Hague.

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 judgement 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.
A peaceful conclusion to its border controversy with Venezuela remains Guyana’s aim, but with Venezuela engaging in aggressive action, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has affirmed that Guyana 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 made 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 recent address to the nation.