Venezuela threatens further action if more Guyanese are found in Essequibo waters – Kaieteur News

Venezuela threatens further action if more Guyanese are found in Essequibo waters


Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza

Kaieteur News – Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza yesterday threatened further action against Guyanese found in Essequibo waters after Guyana issued a firm reprimand for detention from two Guyanese fishing boats off the Essequibo Coast last Thursday.
“Venezuela,” he said, “rejects the Communique of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana [of January 24] on the operation of the Bolivian National Navy and reiterates that it will not allow illegal raids of any kind into its territory, exercising the protection of its sovereignty. ”
The first two ships, Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf, had been operating just offshore at Waini Point on Thursday, where they were intercepted by the Venezuela Navy Ship, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, and ordered to navigate their way to Port Guiria to be held.
In response, Guyana had announced that it was seeking to secure the status and safety of the crew members of the ships, and ordered the Venezuelan government to release them immediately.
The Bolivian foreign minister tweeted yesterday that Venezuela was refusing Guyana’s declaration, and that Venezuela would not allow “illegal raids in its territory.”
Arreaza claimed that the vessels fished illegally in “undoubted” Venezuelan territory without needing documentation.
Arreaza also alleged that the Guyana authorities were engaged in a “media matrix” that “explicitly sets up that government’s unilateral allegations, in alliance with transnational oil companies, especially with the American ExxonMobil, on unopposed Venezuelan territory, as well on marine and submerged land. areas waiting for the limit. ”
Although the ships were discovered in Guyanese waters, Venezuela arrested the ships in accordance with a presidential decree made by her President, Nicolas Maduro, on January 7.
“I signed the decree, it was posted on Twitter shortly thereafter,“ where the Territory for the Development of the Atlantic Front is established in the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela, which becomes part of legal, diplomatic and political actions for the protection of our rights for more than 200 years. ”
In effect, the decree means that the Venezuela Government would treat the Essequibo region, which Venezuela has sought for decades, as its own. President Maduro promised to “re-conquer” the region.
The Maduro movement had initiated a series of actions by the Venezuela national assembly including a unanimous degree by all political factions to fight for the region, and the establishment of a ‘Special Commission for the Protection of Guayana Esequiba Territory and Territorial Sovereignty.’
Arreaza called Guyana’s objections to Maduro’s presidential decree “absurd and inconsistent,” and asked that Venezuela had already made clear its desire for a relationship of respect and cooperation with Guyana.
This is based on Maduro’s refusal of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision to take jurisdiction in ongoing litigation to put the argument to rest. Venezuela has decided not to respect the jurisdiction of the ICJ, and has instead called on Guyana to negotiate with Venezuela.
Maduro had published in a tweet alongside his presidential decree, which he wrote to the United Nations with the aim of promoting a peaceful alternative to ICJ litigation.
The Venezuelan President said only sovereign provinces could bring the neighbors closer to a solution to the controversy. Guyana, on the other hand, is awaiting the ICJ ruling.



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