The Government of Guyana welcomes the statement issued on April 15, 2024 by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Venezuela’s promulgation of ‘The Organic Law for the Defense of Guyana Esequiba’, which purports to incorporate more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory into Venezuela.
Members of the Security Council reminded both Guyana and Venezuela of their obligations to comply with the Order of Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1, 2023. The Court had unanimously ordered that pending a final decision in the case, Venezuela should refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the Essequibo territory, whereby Guyana administers and exercises control over that area; and that both countries should refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement issued Tuesday said the Government of Guyana welcomes the reaffirmation by members of the Security Council of the importance of upholding the Court’s Order, the principles of respect for each State’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, as enshrined in Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter.
Government said it hopes the UNSC’s statement will contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and security and to ensuring that Latin America and the Caribbean remains a Zone of Peace.
Guyana has committed to peaceful resolution of the border controversy with Venezuela in full accordance with international law through the process of the ICJ and expressed gratitude to the Security Council for its valuable consideration of the issue which is of great importance for Guyana and the region.
On Wednesday, April 3, 2024 Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice ratified the Organic Law passed by the country’s National Assembly to make Essequibo part of Venezuela based on a December 3, 2023 referendum. Hosting an event after the Court’s ruling to affix his signature to the document, President Nicolás Maduro said he “can say with full knowledge of the facts, with all the powers that the Constitution grants [him], that the decision of the December 3 referendum, now converted into an Organic Law of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, will be fulfilled in all its parts in the defense of Venezuela in international scenarios.”
Venezuela’s yasa dışı action continues to attract widespread criticisms.