–President Ali emphasises; says rhetoric out of Venezuela, attitude of its President, Vice-President raise serious concerns

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, has firmly stated that Guyana will not stand idly and allow Venezuela to act on its intent to take control of the Essequibo region, but instead, the nation will remain on high alert.

The President made these remarks on Sunday during a BBC radio interview while the Spanish-speaking country carried out its referendum, which is seeking to annex Guyana’s Essequibo region and turn it into a Venezuelan state.

“We have to be at a high state of alert,” he said, while adding that Guyana’s first line of defence has always been diplomacy.

He then pointed out the support Guyana has been receiving in light of the threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Well, I would say that the rhetoric out of Venezuela and the behaviour and attitude of the President and Vice President necessitates serious concerns and we cannot be caught wanting,” the Head-of-State said.

Furthermore, as the President of Guyana and the Commander-in-Chief, Dr Ali said he has to be vigilant and take the statements and actions emanating out of Venezuela with the utmost seriousness.

Leaving no room for debate, Dr Ali ripped off the mask that the Nicolas Maduro administration is parading around with. He maintained that the Venezuelan administration is aiming to create conflict with its false claims.

He said: “The second issue is in relation to reckless and adventurous behaviour. This type of rhetoric and referendum can lead to many circumstances, people acting on their own, whipping up public sentiments around an issue in which [they’re] to create a conflict.”

Despite unanimous pleas for the Venezuelan administration to abide by international law, the Spanish-speaking country defied these calls and went full speed ahead with its referendum.
The ICJ, last Friday, granted Guyana provisional measures to prevent any action by Venezuela that could lead to the annexation of Guyana’s territory.

The decision was handed down by the President of the ICJ, Justice Joan E. Donoghue, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

The court ordered that pending the decision of the substantive case, Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action that would modify the situation that currently prevails with the territory in dispute, whereby Guyana administers and exercises control over the Essequibo.

As an additional measure, the court also ordered that “both parties refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve.”

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has called on Venezuela to respect the ICJ’s order, which bars it from taking control of Guyana’s Essequibo region by any means, including the planned December 3 referendum.

“Venezuela cannot, by a referendum or otherwise, violate international law and disregard the Order of the world’s highest Court.

“CARICOM expects Venezuela to uphold the ICJ’s Order of 1 December, 2023. It also insists that Venezuela complies with international law in all respects, and the Charter of the United Nations, and, in this connection, calls on it to take no actions in violation of them,” CARICOM said in a statement.

CARICOM also demanded that Venezuela pursue its claims within the law and the legal process.

Moreover, the Commonwealth has offered its “full support” to Guyana in the wake of the ICJ ruling granting Guyana provisional measures regarding the Bolivarian Republic’s referendum.

Commenting on the court’s ruling, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC., said that the body “offers its full support” to Guyana which is a “valued Commonwealth member” and is encouraged by the support also shown by its brothers and sisters in CARICOM, and by many other states.

She said that the Commonwealth reiterates its “collective faith in due process, respect for national territorial sovereignty, international law, global order, peace and security and cordial international relations in the Caribbean and the Latin American region.”