Canada, UK joins calls for release of Guyanese fishermen

– Venezuelan police are increasingly entering Guyana’s maritime space, Minister Todd said

On Thursday, CANADA and the United Kingdom (UK), joined other nations to call on Venezuela to release the 12 Guyanese fishermen they hold in custody.
Even as Guyana and international stakeholders continue to press for a peaceful conclusion to the Guyana-Venezuela border debate, Venezuela remains bent on an arbitrary claim to Guyana territory, with that country’s naval forces increasingly invading maritime space Guyana.
Increased activity by Venezuelan naval ships and other forces in Guyana waters began after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed off the coast of Guyana, west of Essequibo River.
Based on reports originating in Venezuela, the decree highlights the creation of a strategic zone for national development, called the “Atlantic Surface Development Territory”, which the Bolivian Republic envisages will provide it with adequate protection, and protects its jurisdiction.
However, as Guyana has sovereign rights over the coast west of the Essequibo River, as far as Punta Playa, it follows that, as a result, only Guyana can enjoy sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights over the sea and bed the surrounding sea.

Reserved 🙁 from left) Joel Joseph, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Orland Roberts, Captain Lady Nayera, Richard Ramnarine and Shirvin Oneil

Despite complete condemnation of Venezuela’s latest claims and worldwide recognition of Guyana’s sovereign rights over the contested area, a naval ship attached to the Bolivian Republic, just days after the decree was issued, entered Guyana territory and seized 12 fisherman, who remains detained in Venezuela. .
“Following the announcement of President Maduro’s Decree on 7 January 2021, there was increased activity in Guyana’s maritime space by Venezuelan Navy ships and other assets of the Venezuelan State,” Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd told the Assembly National, on Thursday. .
He mourns for such illegal activity, he continues to undermine Guyana’s development, by threatening Guyana’s sovereign rights over its maritime space and blocking economic activity.
The recent capture and detention of fishermen and their fishing vessels, Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf, is proof of Venezuela’s intent, Minister Todd said.

Lady Nayera, while docked at home, here in Guyana

Those ships were intercepted by a Venezuelan navy ship, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, off the coast of Waini Point (well within Guyana territory).
The crew and the two ships were illegally detained by the Venezuelan Government and are currently still in custody in Port Guiria. It was recently reported that the men had been put before a Venezuelan court and then detained for 45 days, pending an ‘investigation’.

CONSTITUTION GENERAL
However, Guyana has condemned the illegal detention of its citizens and the illegal seizure of their fishing vessels by the Venezuelan navy.
All family members, when contacted by this publication, have also condemned the law and have said that they are eagerly awaiting the return of their relatives, because, in some cases, they are the sole breadwinner House.
Since then Minister Todd has confirmed that his ministry is in constant contact with the fishermen detained in Venezuela.
Responding to questions from the media on Thursday, the minister said: “Yes, we are in contact with them every day … we are dealing with the release of crew and ships.”
There have been claims that the fishermen would have caught an endangered species, but this information remains unfounded and a secondary concern at present, as Minister Todd’s main focus is on get the Guyanese fishermen back.
“At the end of the day, the ships were in our territory and we don’t want to be distracted … we need to free the ships and crew,” said the minister.

PEACE AND DIPLOMATIC
Minister Todd, before engaging with the media, had told the National Assembly that his ministry was engaging with the international community as part of efforts to resolve the issue in the most peaceful and diplomatic way.
The individual Member States of CARICOM and the community as a whole, have denied the actions taken by Venezuela, calling on them to free the crew and ships.
The American Provincial Institute has also issued a statement which highlights that: “Resolving the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana is a matter that comes under international jurisdiction, and cannot be settled by unilateral action. Any attempt to dismantle this international legal process as the decree, issued by the Maduro regime is contrary to international law and standards, and has no legal significance or significance. ”
“We are heartened that the international community is seized from this issue and urged Venezuela to release our Guyanese nationals and their fishing vessels and refrain from acts that violate international law and threaten the peace and stability of the region , ”Said Minister Todd.

Guyana, he said, greatly appreciates the support it has received and continues to receive from individual member states of the international community such as Belize, Brazil, Canada, France, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom. United States and the United States of America, as well as through regional and international groups from CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (EU), in its vigorous efforts to protect its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
Canada, in a statement, said it supported Guyana in calling for the immediate release of two Guyanese vessels and fishermen detained by the Maduro regime. The United Kingdom (UK) also expressed concern over reports that Venezuelan ships had detained Guyanese fishing and crew vessels. The nation called for the early release of those men.
Canada and the UK, in commenting on the wider issue, said international law must be respected.
The UK, in particular, said it was clear that the 1899 Arbitration Award had settled the debate on the border between Guyana and Venezuela.

“We urge a bilateral decision to the debate and support the efforts of the UN Secretary General,” said the UK.
In March 2018, Guyana filed its application in the ICJ seeking confirmation of the validity of the1899 Arbitration Award and the international border it established.
On June 30, Guyana, in his virtual presentation of the October 1899 Arbitration Award (Guyana v. Venezuela), said that Venezuela’s current interpretation of the Geneva Treaty is not only illogical and inaccurate, but in stark contrast to the interpretation which the Spanish country acquired when it signed the exact agreement in February 1966.
Represented by a battery of international lawyers, Guyana said the agreement, in unambiguous terms, empowered the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) to determine an appropriate resolution mechanism to enable a peaceful settlement, the ICJ.
The ICJ ruled on December 18, 2020, that it had jurisdiction to hear the case of the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute.
Guyana seeks final and binding judgment that the 1899 Arbitration Award, which established the location of the land border between British Guiana and Venezuela at the time, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela. The case management exercise for the border dispute case is set for February 26, 2021.

Source