Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (center) speaking about Guyana's recent illegal actions on the disputed Essequibo territory. Photo: Venezuela's Presidential Press.
“To all corporations that intend to enter Venezuelan waters illegally or on disputed waters, Venezuela will provide a legal response, in accordance with international law,” stated Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. The statement was made in response to neighboring Guyana granting licenses to foreign-owned oil corporations to drill in disputed territorial waters.
“Venezuela does not recognize any license issued by Guyana,” stated President Maduro. “We will not recognize any abuse by Guyana under any aspect. Through amicable conditions, everything, through inimical conditions, nothing… No one will be able to defeat Venezuela through inimical conditions, whether it is the gringo empire, the US Southern Command, ExxonMobil, or paid politicians like the president of Guyana.”
From La Casona Cultural Aquiles Nazoa, located in Caracas, the president pointed out that his Guyanese counterpart Irfaan Ali is following “an incorrect path of violation of international legality, provocation, and offense to the dignity of Venezuela.”
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The position adopted by Guyana has generated deep indignation among the Venezuelan people, noted President Maduro, as it constitutes “a serious violation of the right to peace [and] of international law.”
He explained that, in other parts of the world, military conflicts have occurred as a result of the exploitation of joint mineral deposits. He also highlighted the positive experience of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, who recently signed an agreement for “the peaceful exploitation of gas fields in solidarity and in a cooperative manner.”
“We have just signed an agreement for a gas field on the Venezuelan side, the Dragon Field on the Venezuelan territory, so that a pipeline can enter from Trinidad for the commercial exploitation and sale of that gas to Trinidad and Tobago and the world, an association, a win–win partnership,” stated President Maduro. “We reached that agreement, a good agreement, with Trinidad and Tobago on amicable terms.”
However, for the time being, Guyana does not seem to be open to that possibility.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
