Secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro. File photo/El País.
The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, backed the aggressive stance of the government of Guyana against Venezuela.
Almagro endorsed the accusations of the prime minister of Guyana, Mark Anthony Phillips, who condemned Venezuela before the OAS on Wednesday, November 1, claiming that the Venezuelan consultative referendum on the Essequibo region was aimed at “approving the annexation of the territory under claim.”
Backing Phillips, Luis Almagro stated that “the Venezuelan claim over Guyana has no legal basis.”
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He also called on the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, to participate in the legal proceedings brought by Guyana to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and to stop the consultative referendum on the Essequibo.
“We condemn any discourse of provocations, or trying to claim that it is Guyana that is making provocations, when clearly that would be contrary to the interests of Guyana, which is waiting for the result of the ICJ in peace,” Almagro said. “Venezuela must act with the same maturity and wait in peace for the decision of the ICJ.”
The OAS secretary, referring to the consultative referendum on the Essequibo announced by the Venezuelan National Assembly, added that the “language” coming from Venezuela in recent days is “worrisome.”
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Almagro reiterated his support for the government of Guyana regarding the Essequibo dispute. The United States and CARICOM supported Almagro’s position.
In response to Almagro’s interventionist comments, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, stated that “the empire always has a plan to rob Venezuela.”
“Whenever the empire has a plan to rob us, they look for Simiolon Almugre,” Rodríguez wrote in his X account, referring to Almagro.
Siempre que el imperio tiene un plan para robarnos, buscan a Simiolon Almugre https://t.co/5M1LHeOYl6 pic.twitter.com/VNkOdkN9wx
— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) November 2, 2023
This is not the first time that Almagro has lashed out against Venezuela over the Essequibo. In September, he backed Guyana’s demand for an illegal bidding round for oil rights in the disputed waters of the Essequibo region.
At that time Almagro recognized “Guyana’s right” to welcome investors. He also stated that Guyana must preserve its territorial integrity and security by taking Venezuela to the International Court of Justice.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
