PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has said Venezuelan rhetoric over claims to Guyana’s Essequibo has “reduced substantially” since the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, but stressed that Guyana is prepared for any kind of reaction once the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules on the century‑old border controversy.
In a sit‑down interview with Al Jazeera in Doha, President Ali said that since Maduro’s arrest and the rise of Delcy Rodríguez as Caracas’ key power broker under intense United States pressure, the tone coming from across the border has shifted.
“The rhetoric has reduced substantially,” President Ali said, noting that the long‑running territorial claim is now squarely before the ICJ, which is expected to hand down a decision early in the new year on the validity of the 1899 arbitral award that fixed the boundary between the two states.
“We’re prepared for any reaction to the court’s ruling. We are very conscious of these words [and] also very conscious of Delcy’s position in relation to not accepting the ruling, notwithstanding the fact that Venezuela has participated fully in every aspect of the case before the ICJ, but we are hopeful that in this new environment, in the effort to have this region stabilise [sic] and the U.S. playing an important part,” President Ali said.
Acknowledging that Rodríguez has publicly dismissed Guyana’s ownership claim as a “deceptive fraud” and has vowed that Venezuela will never recognise the ICJ’s authority.
Dr Ali pointed out that Venezuela has nonetheless participated “fully in every aspect of the case” before the court and expressed confidence that the judges will rule in Guyana’s favour on the basis of “principle and fact.”
The president also underlined the importance of a stable western hemisphere and highlighted the role of the United States in coordinating regional security.
He rejected any suggestion that Washington’s renewed engagement with Caracas has sidelined Guyana, insisting that the U.S remains an “important ally” that has “consistently stood with us on this matter.”
Back in January, Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism after President Donald Trump’s stunning capture of him rattled world leaders and left officials in Caracas scrambling to respond.
Maduro, 63, had pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court to four criminal counts that include narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
BORDER CONTROVERSY
At the centre of the controversy is Guyana’s request for the court to affirm the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the international boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela.
Guyana argued that the award conclusively settled the border more than a century ago, while Venezuela maintains its claim of invalidity.
Importantly, the ICJ has already ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter on its merits. In a December 2020 judgment, the court rejected Venezuela’s challenge to its authority and ruled that it has the power to determine the validity of the 1899 award and the land boundary between the two neighbouring states.
Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, had said the country was “more confident than ever” that the world court will uphold the 1899 Arbitral Award and definitively affirm the country’s lawful boundary, following oral hearings of the case back in May.
The oral hearings, held between May 4 and May 11, saw Guyana and Venezuela present arguments in two rounds of pleadings before the ICJ — the United Nations’ highest judicial body.
The court will now deliberate before issuing its final judgment on the merits of the case, a ruling Nandlall stressed will be legally binding on both countries.
