- Venezuelan opposition wants ICJ solution to border controversy
The opposition Democratic Unitary Platform in Venezuela said on Saturday that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should settle the Venezuela-Guyana border dispute, even if it strongly opposed a British warship in this former British colony.
The Democratic Unitary Platform stated that Venezuelans have solid legal documents to defend our Essequibo territory, which must be presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to ensure a legal decision.
After accepting the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award for over 60 years, Venezuela relied on a junior lawyer’s letter to the 1897 land border tribunal alleging collaboration to deprive it of territory.
Maria Corina Machado, the opposition candidate for next year’s general election, has said Venezuela needs its best professionals to contest the World Court case.
That contrasts with the Nicolas Maduro administration, which does not recognise the UN legal body to resolve the issue over the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the Guyana-Venezuela land boundary.
Instead, the Maduro administration interprets the 1966 Geneva Agreement to require bilateral negotiations to resolve the matter. After Guyana gave up on bilateral talks, the UN Secretary-General utilised a clause in the accord and brought the dispute to the ICJ.
The DUP added, “We demand the validity of the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only instrument for a practical and satisfactory peaceful conflict resolution.”
The DUP criticised HMS Trent’s presence in Guyanese seas as “unnecessary provocation” and demanded its departure.
“The Democratic Unitary Platform condemns this action and calls for its immediate withdrawal. We also urge parties to reach agreements diplomatically, the Venezuelan opposition added.
Brazil opposed to the patrol vessel on Friday and called for a return to the December 14 Argyle Declaration for Peace and Dialogue between Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.
Despite that accord, the Maduro regime has continued to incorporate Guyana’s Essequibo county into its map, declare it a military zone, authorise its state oil and mining companies to operate there, and give Guyanese concessionaires three months to leave.
The HMS Trent arrived on December 29 after British Minister for the Americas and the Caribbean David Rutley visited Guyana on December 18, where he reaffirmed his country’s support for territorial sovereignty, met with the GDF Chief-of-Staff, and brought British, Canadian, American, and European Union ambassadors to discuss support.
