AS Guyana continues to strive to ensure that peace and stability are maintained in the region, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, engaged Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yvan Gill, on his government’s disregard for international law.
This engagement was initiated by the Ambassador of Venezuela to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva, on Wednesday through a telephonic conversation.

According to the statement by Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Minister Todd expressed concern over the recent actions emanating from Caracas over the last 24 hours, which were in direct violation of the Order of the International Court of Justice on December 1, 2023.
The minister also reiterated Guyana’s commitment to resolution of the controversy through the ongoing judicial process and encouraged Venezuela to participate in the case before the court.

“Minister Todd further reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the respect for international law and the need for the maintenance of peace and security in the region. He encouraged respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement read.
On Tuesday evening, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali said that owing to the latest “missteps” by the Venezuelan government, Guyana will be reporting the Bolivarian Republic’s latest actions to the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the ICJ.

He reiterated that the ICJ has made it crystal clear that Venezuela cannot act or take any action that will disrupt the status quo, and the status quo is that Guyana exercises governance and control over the Essequibo region.
President Ali said that Maduro’s choice of not only defying the ICJ, but also of issuing direct threats to companies operating in Guyana is detrimental to the peace and stability of Guyana.

As he openly defied international law, Maduro announced seven actions that his government plans to take on the Essequibo region, one of which includes an order for the creation of entities to grant licences for oil, gas and mines exploration in Guyana’s territory. Maduro has also ordered the dissemination of a redrawn map of his country that now includes Guyana’s Essequibo region.

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, in The Netherlands.

The court ordered that pending the decision of the substantive case which concerns the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that defines the boundary between the two nations, Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action that would modify the situation that currently prevails with the territory, which Guyana administers and exercises control over.
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.