Guyanese remain strong and resolute in the face of continuing acts of provocation by the Maduro regime.

Media reports indicated several activities on the Ankoko Island by the Venezuelan military, including the construction of a bridge from the Venezuelan mainland across the Cuyuni River to the Ankoko Island. Military tanks were also seen on the island.

It is important to note that the Ankoko Island legally belongs to Guyana and Venezuela in keeping with the 1899 Arbitral Award which gave both countries ownership to the Island. However, for several decades, Venezuela had occupied the entire island, essentially seizing part of Guyana’s territory.

It is against such a backdrop that the construction of a bridge and the buildup of military activities on the island have to be seen. According to Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP/C administration is not turning a blind eye to the actions taken by Venezuela which, he said, are threatening. According to Dr. Jagdeo, “We are very vigilant. We are watching the developments. We are working with our allies on this.”

The bridge from Venezuela’s mainland to Ankoko Island is taking place in clear violation of the Argyle Agreement reached between President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro which states that “both sides will refrain, whether by words or by deeds, from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them. The two States will cooperate to avoid any incidents on the ground conducive to tension between them.”

The above is also in conformity with a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which called on both parties to desist from actions that will exacerbate the territorial controversy.
The above notwithstanding, Venezuela’s Parliament declared Guyana’s Essequibo purportedly as a ‘State of Venezuela.’
It is quite apparent that the Maduro regime is bent on flouting the norms of international law. The most recent actions on the Ankoko Island represented yet another act of provocation by Venezuela and cannot be taken lightly. As pointed out by Vice President Jagdeo, Guyana has alerted the international community on this recent development.

“We have made it clear, and the requisite bodies have been written to, consistent with the Argyle Agreement and the provisional measures announced by the ICJ. We have notified all the relevant partners, both multilateral and bilateral about the continued attempts by Venezuela to build up a presence on our border in a threatening manner,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Significantly, there has been growing support for Guyana in the region and at the broader international level.

Only recently, former Colombian President, Ivan Duque, noted that the international community will not tolerate any aggressive moves by Venezuela and emphasised that any attempt by Venezuela to seize Guyanese territory would be met with strong resistance.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, Duque discussed the various challenges Venezuela poses in the region and stressed that a collective response from the United States, Canada and other countries in the hemisphere under the Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance should not be ruled out in the event of any military aggression on the part of Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Guyanese remain strong and resolute in defence of their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, with the full knowledge and confidence that both the rule of international law and the global community are on its side.