Venezuelan Navy's marine patrol vessel AB Guaiqueri (PO-11). Photo: FANB/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning the remarks made by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, accusing him of spreading false claims about Venezuelan naval forces encroaching on Guyana’s maritime territory. The statement highlighted that the waters in question remain undelimited under international law and are not definitively part of Guyana’s jurisdiction. It criticized Ali’s comments as “fraught with distortions” designed to incite regional instability, for which he was called “the Caribbean Zelensky.” Venezuela further alleged that Guyana’s actions, supported by ExxonMobil’s “warlike interests” and figures like Organization of American States’ Luis Almagro and former Colombian President Iván Duque, are aimed at escalating conflict in the region.
The statement issued on Saturday, March 1, condemned Guyana for violating international law by authorizing resource extraction in disputed maritime waters and urged compliance with the 1966 Geneva Agreement which outlines procedures for resolving the Essequibo territorial dispute. Venezuela reiterated its unwavering commitment to defending its historical and legal claims over the Essequibo region, emphasizing its dedication to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peace. The statement also warned Guyana against provocations targeting Venezuela’s military.
The statement also announced Venezuela’s plans to activate the Argyle Declaration signed by President Nicolás Maduro and President Irfaan Ali on December 2023. The declaration is in line with the Geneva Agreement’s principles, focusing on pursuing diplomatic means for the resolution of the dispute, using the United Nations’ peaceful resolution mechanism under mutual agreement.
Earlier on Saturday, President Ali said that a Venezuelan armed patrol ship entered Guyanese waters in the early morning and approached a production vessel in an offshore oil block. “During this incursion, the Venezuelan vessel came close to several assets in our exclusive waters, including the [ExxonMobil] FPSO Prosperity,” Ali claimed, as reported by Guyanese media.
The Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro promptly condemned the Venezuelan “incursion into Guyana’s internationally recognized maritime territory.” The US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, led by Mauricio Claver-Carone, condemned the incident as a “blatant breach” of Guyana’s maritime sovereignty, warning Venezuela that “continued aggressive actions by the Maduro regime will trigger direct consequences.”
The Venezuelan statement can be summarized as follows:
- Condemnation of provocative statements
Venezuela categorically condemned the baseless allegations made by Irfaan Ali, president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. His claims regarding Venezuelan naval operations in disputed maritime zones are factually misleading. The waters in question are not definitively part of Guyana’s territory but remain pending for delimitation under international law. - Condemnation of escalatory rhetoric
President Ali’s statements, riddled with contradictions and falsehoods, intend to destabilize the region by trying to create a dangerous conflict. His actions as a “Caribbean Zelensky” are aligned with the warmongering agenda of the United States, ExxonMobil, and their allies, including Luis Almagro and Iván Duque. Such provocations threaten the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace. - Violation of international law
Venezuela condemned Guyana’s illegal extraction of energy resources in disputed territories and undelimited maritime zones. This constitutes a flagrant breach of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, the sole legal framework for resolving the territorial dispute. Guyana must cease evading its obligations under this binding agreement and engage in good-faith negotiations with Venezuela for a peaceful, practical, and mutually acceptable resolution. - Commitment to sovereignty and peace
Venezuela reaffirmed its unshakable commitment to defending its historical and legal rights over the Essequibo region and its territorial integrity. All attempts to intimidate or provoke the Bolivarian National Armed Force has been condemned. - Diplomatic solution
In response to these destabilizing actions, Venezuela will urgently activate the Argyle Mechanism, in line with the Geneva Agreement, to pursue peaceful dialogue. Venezuela remains steadfast in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity through Bolivarian diplomacy. - Final Declaration
The Essequibo is and will remain an inseparable part of Venezuela. The statement concludes with the declaration: “The Sun of Venezuela rises in the Essequibo.”
Venezuela Condemns False Flag Operation Orchestrated by Guyana
ALBA-TCP
In response to Luis Almagro’s statements, the executive secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, decried that the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States is only dedicated to “generating conflicts and coups d’état and threatening the peace and security of the countries of Our Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Arreaza stated, “The OAS general hitman needs an urgent lesson on international law, specifically the Law of the Seas: The waters in which the ExxonMobil ship was located are marine and submarine areas pending delimitation between Venezuela and Guyana. No company should carry out any economic activity in these areas until the coastal countries negotiate and agree on the corresponding delimitation. Supporting economic activities in undelimited waters is putting at risk the peace of the region and is causing unnecessary tensions and conflicts. This is what the dying OAS Secretariat has been doing since Almagro took over: promoting conflicts and coups d’état and threatening the peace and security of the countries of Our Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
