BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 11, 2023
Ahead of a high-ranking bilateral meeting which is scheduled to take place on December 14th between Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali amid escalating tensions arising from a territorial dispute between both countries, Belize has issued a press release expressing its support for Guyana.
The tensions between both countries escalated last week following a referendum held on December 3rd, in which 95.9% of Venezuelans voted “yes” to Venezuela’s call for approving a new Venezuelan state in the potentially oil-rich territory known as Essequibo. This latest development between both countries led the Government of Belize to issue a press release dated December 8th saying that they were “deeply concerned” over Venezuela’s actions, “by which it purports to exercise rights of administrative sovereignty over the Essequibo region.”
Belize, which is currently facing a similar situation with Guatemala, indicated that Venezuela’s action flies directly in the face of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) provisional measures which were ordered on December 1st, 2023. The press release issued by Belize pointed out that the ICJ had specifically ordered that Venezuela refrain from any actions that might further aggravate or extend its territorial dispute over Guyana. According to Belize, Venezuela’s decision not to adhere to the order violates well-recognized rules of international law and also challenges directly the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.
“All states must respect and adhere to norms and principles of international law, including respect for the sovereignty of other states, territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, and the prohibition of the threat or use of force, and peaceful resolution of disputes, “ said Belize in the press brief.
Rounding off their statement, the Government of Belize echoed its “strong support” for the ongoing judicial process that is being spearheaded by the ICJ, and which they say provides an avenue for a peaceful settlement to a long-standing territorial dispute between both countries dating back to the 19th Century.
In the long-standing border dispute, Venezuela seeks to claim about two-thirds of Guyana’s land mass, maintaining that they were the victims of a land theft dating back to 1899 when Guyana was a British colony and arbitrators from Britain, Russia and the United States delineated the boundary without their (Venezuela’s) consent. Over the years the claim had not been at the forefront of Venezuela’s public actions and statements, but it recently resurfaced once more amid reports that the Essequibo region had the potential for, and indeed confirmed discoveries of massive oil and other mineral deposits both inland and offshore.