President Ali summoned Venezuela’s representative. over Maduro’s decree
Officer in Charge of Venezuelan Embassy summoned
President Irfaan Ali.
Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali has completely rejected the latest decree by Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro following a recent statement in which he promised to re-conquer the Essequibo as the territory of the Bolivian Republic.
The decree comes weeks after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a decision that it had jurisdiction to hear the Guyana-Venezuela border dispute over the validity of the 1899 Arbitration Award that granted Guyana rights to Essequibo territories. The outbreak is ongoing and is expected to be airlifted through the ICJ within the next 24 months.
Given the recent developments of the surrounding territory, President Ali announced in a live broadcast speech to the nation yesterday that Foreign Minister Hugh Todd had been instructed to summon a Venezuelan Embassy in Charge Officer in Georgetown to express Guyana’s deep concern about the decree.
He said that the Officer in Charge had been informed to convey to Venezuelan authorities in Caracas, that Guyana, in accordance with international law, and his assertion of his sovereignty and territorial integrity, completely rejected the decree issued by the President Maduro.
The President noted that Guyana is committed to continuing on the path of peaceful resolution of this issue in accordance with international law and jurisdiction of the ICJ.
“So it is very worrying,” he said “on January 7th, Venezuela’s President, Mr Nicolas Maduro, issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed off the coast of Guyana, west of the Essequibo River . ”
In this respect, President Ali reminded that Guyana (then British Guiana) was awarded sovereignty over this coast, and the territorial territory to which it was attached, in the 1899 Arbitration Award, which is valid and legal binding. ”
“Unfortunately,” he stressed that by ruling that the seas near this territory belong to Venezuela, at least two basic principles of international law have been broken.
“The first offense,” he said, is that no State can unilaterally set its international borders, whether land or maritime. Setting an international border under international law can only result from an agreement between an agreement between neighboring States, or a binding decision of an international court or arbitral tribunal.
He noted, therefore, that this attempt by Venezuela to unilaterally repair its land and maritime borders with Guyana is legally void, which cannot, and will not, be respected by any other state in the world, including Guyana.
The second violation of basic international law, says the President, is based on the fact that under the established rules of international law, there is a fundamental principle that “the land dominates the sea”.
“This means that sovereignty, and sovereign rights in the sea and the seabed, derive from title to the land that forms the coastline to which that seas and bed lie. As Guyana is sovereign 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 surrounding sea and seabed , ”He explained.
According to Ali, this is exactly the issue before the ICJ, which the ICJ decided, on 18 December 2020, to resolve, ie whether Guyana or Venezuela is sovereign over that land territory.
The President expressed confidence that the Court will resolve the matter in his favor, and that this will also necessarily settle the issue of maritime rights in the adjacent sea and seabed.
The President noted that “Guyana has always acted as a peaceful party in the decision-making process and will continue to do so until the end of the matter before the ICJ.
“Guyana has done so even as we pursued our right to ask the UN Secretary-General to refer to the ICJ, the long-standing feud with Venezuela over the arbitrary ruling of 1899,” Ali noted adding “at any time, have we engage in making any statements regarding the ongoing inflammatory remarks, emanating from the Government and other parties in Venezuela, except to continue to affirm our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. ”
The President therefore emphasized that he is confident that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will uphold Guyana’s point of view. President Ali also expressed the hope that the Venezuelan government will reconsider its position and decide to take part in the rest of the case before the ICJ, as the Court determines the validity and binding character of the 1899 Arbitration Award and the international border it ‘ it does. creation.
He noted, however, that if Venezuela chooses to boycott the ICJ case, it will not prevent or delay the Court from adjudicating the case.
He also noted that despite its lack of participation in the case, Venezuela does not have the “right” to “overturn” the Court’s binding decision.
The President noted that the Court rules specifically provide that the deliberate absence of one of the parties will not prevent him from deciding a case.
Meanwhile, Ali said the Government has warned the International Community, including those in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and in America of the danger to international peace and security that is being threatened by the latest decree one that violates the basic principles of international law.