-President Ali reassures Guyanese that the gov’t will spare no effort to protect its territory
-Opposition stands in unison with gov’t to protect Guyana

AMIDST recent claims by Venezuela to Guyana’s territory, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has maintained that the government will uphold and safeguard the nation’s territorial sovereignty and will not be intimidated by the Bolivarian Republic’s actions.

The Head of State, in an update on his official Facebook page on Saturday, assured Guyanese that the government will spare no efforts to protect Essequibo.
In a patriotic update, the President said: “So, I want to assure all Guyanese that we are going to consistently defend what is ours, Essequibo, in a strong way, in the framework of international law and peace and we’re together on this as a nation…make no mistake, Guyana is together on this.”

He then went on to say: “We as a people and a country are aware of our boundaries and we respect our neighbours, and we continue to promote living and existing in a zone of peace, and we reject totally Venezuela’s attempt to disrupt the peace within this Region and this zone.

“As you know, we have subscribed ourselves to a process which is being carried out at the ICJ [International Court of Justice] and that we have submitted ourselves not only to the process of the ICJ, but [also to] the outcome of the ICJ.”

It is for this reason that he urged Venezuela to participate in this process and to also be respectful of the ruling of the ICJ.
Shedding light on the heightened tensions, the President said that the Government of Guyana took note and responded to the statements that emanated from Venezuela, which stood in contradiction to peace and security.

Touching more on the intention of Venezuela’s statements, President Ali said that they were aimed at expanding and promoting the country’s “false claim” and creating an “aggressive environment.”

“We as a neighbour remain consistent and peaceful in our approach to resolving this matter and having it concluded at the ICJ,” the Guyanese Head of State firmly asserted.
He added: “The Government of Guyana has, therefore, noted the extreme concern [of] the decision of Venezuela’s National Assembly to conduct a referendum on defending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory, Essequibo,

“Guyana regards this as a front [sic] to the rule of international law and the preservation of peace and security, especially since the territorial case has been brought before the International Court of Justice.”

ZONE OF PEACE
Dr. Ali maintained that the Government of Guyana will continue to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with respect of the rule of law by its side.
He said: “The Government of Guyana will continue to strenuously defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which endeavours for this to remain premised on respect for the rule of law.”

President Ali has since engaged the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, and shared statements from the various regional and international institutions that are rallying behind the nation’s sovereignty.

President Ali said: “I want to thank the international community for a strong and steady support… the consistent support for Guyana and their strong position in relation to international law, the rule of law and respect for Guyana’s territorial integrity.”

He also said that this matter was raised with the United Nations Secretary-General, as Guyana’s only aim is to safeguard its territorial sovereignty under international law and the rule of law.
Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, reaffirmed that they will stand in unity with the Government of Guyana to protect the nation’s sovereignty.

“The President and I spoke this morning and I reiterated our support to the government as it relates to the territorial controversy with Venezuela,” Norton affirmed.

A statement released by the Opposition on Saturday, read: “Today, Saturday 23rd September 2023, the Leader of the Opposition Aubrey C. Norton, MP, was briefed by H.E. President Irfaan Ali on the current developments surrounding the Guyana/Venezuela border. Mr. Norton reaffirmed the Opposition’s support for Guyana’s long-held position that the Arbitral Award of 1899 settled the border between Guyana and Venezuela and that Essequibo belongs to Guyana.

“The Opposition opposes and condemns all forms of aggression by Venezuela against Guyana. We also welcome the support of the international community in protecting our territorial integrity and sovereignty.”