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…says Venezuela must respect upcoming ICJ ruling
In the face of Venezuela’s most recent threat to Guyana’s territory, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon has cautioned the neighbouring country to cease and desist from issuing arbitrary decrees but rather to utilize the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to present its case and accept the final ruling of the Court.
On Thursday, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro once again claimed exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River. The area is part of the Stabroek Block being drilled by United States (US) oil giant, ExxonMobil.
In a press statement on Sunday, Harmon said that he joins with all patriotic Guyanese in condemning the decree issued which seeks to renew fallacious claims to Guyana’s territory.
“This decree is mischievous, illegal, and can only serve to foment tensions on an issue that is being peaceably resolved in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Venezuela, as a Member State of the United Nations, is bound by the jurisdiction and rulings of the ICJ,” he stated.
He reminded that a similar decree, No. 1787, was issued on May 26, 2015, which sought to unilaterally re-draw centuries-old land and sea boundaries and lay claim to the hydrocarbon resources in the ‘Liza’ field.
In his first year in office in 2015, President David Granger sought meetings with former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and, subsequently, current Secretary-General, António Guterres, to bring a favourable closure to the territorial issue. Not long after, the decree was withdrawn.|
Harmon stated: “Today, five years later, Venezuela seeks to repeat the same misadventure. We urge Venezuela to utilize the ICJ as the forum to present its case and to cease and desist from issuing these arbitrary decrees. The APNU+AFC Coalition stands resolute and in solidarity with any reasonable action that the people of Guyana is likely to embark on to safeguard Guyana’s sovereignty.”
On Saturday, President Irfaan Ali also rejected the decree of Maduro. He reminded the country that sovereignty over this coast, and the land territory to which it is attached, were awarded to Guyana (then British Guiana) in the 1899 Arbitral Award. He said that he is confident of its validity and legally binding character and that the ICJ will uphold this unequivocally.
