President Nicolás Maduro on television. Photo: Alba Ciudad.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said this Monday that Guyana must settle the Essequibo controversy with Venezuela and without interference from external organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).
During a broadcast of Con Maduro+, he commented on the ruling issued last Friday, March 1, by the Preliminary Chamber of the ICC, which authorized the ICC to pursue an investigation into crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Venezuela.
In this regard, the head of state said, “The people established the historical position that Venezuela does not recognize the International Court of Justice for this issue, and that is the position that we are going to maintain during this year, during all years, and Guyana may be able to go and obtain the sentence it wants, but, in the short run and in the long run, Venezuela will be standing here, and Guyana will have to sit in front of us to negotiate the solution to the Essequibo, to the sea, in order to stake out and resolve everything.”
He emphasized the decision of the Venezuelan people issued on December 3, 2023, with the referendum on Essequibo: “Venezuela is clear. It is here, we have a historical position, we have the documents, we have complete reason on our side, and, simply, the slogan of the people is ‘Essequibo is ours.’ We will stand by this in all international bodies in due course.”
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President Maduro emphasized that Venezuela does not accept judicial colonialism, especially at a time when humanity is questioning the ICC after its silence in the face of the genocide being committed against the people of Palestine. “They are against the wall, exhausted… We are witnessing a genocide broadcast live on social networks, an extermination of the Palestinian people, and what do they say? Nothing.”
He reiterated that in the face of the threats from the government of the United States and demands that Venezuela accept the ruling of the ICC, Venezuela has established a legal and Constitutional position via the referendum. “Guyana will have to sit face to face with us to resolve this matter through satisfactory and diplomatic means,” concluded President Maduro.
After issuing an official statement in which it repudiated the ICC’s decision, the Venezuelan government noted that this investigation constitutes an attempt by the US and its vassals to exploit international criminal justice mechanisms for political purposes, based on alleged crimes against humanity that have never occurred in Venezuela.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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