– Affirms stance with gov’t; highlights Maduro’s blatant disregard for international law

THE opposition sees Venezuela’s recent moves as a “major threat” to regional peace and stability, firmly rejecting the Nicolas Maduro administration’s blatant disregard for international law.

Calling out the Bolivarian Republic for its threats towards Guyana’s territorial sovereignty, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), through a press statement, said: “The Parliamentary Opposition totally rejects the action taken by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to create an entity, the “integral defence zone…”

APNU stated that this development is not only “abhorrent” but has “dangerous implications” for the existing territorial controversy and represents a flouting of the recent decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Furthermore, the Opposition called for the local, regional, and international communities to reject and denounce Venezuela’s “reckless” actions.

“The world must understand and reject the “integral defence zone” called “Guayana Esequiba” represents not only a violation of the charter of the United Nations, international law and practice but also sets a dangerous precedent, which is potentially destabilising for the Latin American and Caribbean region,” APNU said.

Not mincing their words, the Parliamentary Opposition underscored that both the government and the people of Guyana have done nothing to warrant the Bolivarian Republic’s actions.

“The Government and people of Guyana have done nothing to provoke this aggression from its western neighbor,” the statement read while explaining that Guyana has pursued a path of peace, as it has sought to resolve the territorial controversy with Venezuela through such instruments as the Geneva Agreement, the Protocol of Port of Spain, the Good Officer Process, the enhanced Good Officer Process and finally, the ICJ.

“The validity of the 1899 Award which delimited the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela and which Venezuela now considers to be null and void is before the ICJ at the present time. Instead of allowing the judicial process to take its course, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has engaged in the naked act of aggression against the people of Guyana,” APNU said.

Furthermore, the statement called for the government and the people of Guyana to stand resolute in the face of Venezuelan “aggression” and to take all necessary measures to reject the false rhetoric being peddled by the Spanish-speaking country.

“The Parliamentary Opposition is convinced that it is past time for there to be an established programme of robust diplomacy by which the people of Guyana can defend itself against this attempt to undermine the nation’s integrity and sovereignty,” APNU said.