Biden Administration Reaffirms ‘Unwavering Support’ for Guyana’s Sovereignty

WASHINGTON, DC – The Biden administration has reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for Guyana’s sovereignty, reiterating Washington’s call for a peaceful resolution of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. 

The US Department of State on Wednesday said that Secretary of Antony J. Blinken spoke with Guyanese President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in which Blinken called for “all parties to respect the 1899 arbitral award determining the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana, unless, or until, the parties reach a new agreement, or a competent legal body decides otherwise.  

“Secretary Blinken and President Ali noted the International Court of Justice order issued on December 1, which called for parties to refrain from any action that might aggravate or extend the dispute,” said the State Department in a statement.  

“The Secretary reiterated that the United States looks forward to working closely with Guyana once it assumes its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in January 2024,” it added. “The two leaders concluded the call by agreeing upon the importance of maintaining a peaceful and democratic Western Hemisphere.”

On Wednesday, the Guyana government said it plans to take the border issue with Venezuela to the United Nations (UN) after it described “unsettling developments” in relation to the “unlawful claim by Caracas to the mineral rich Essequibo region in Guyana”. 

In a radio and television broadcast, Ali said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday night “announced several measures which his government intends to take in enforcing the outcome of the referendum held on December 3, 2023.” 

 “As I made clear from the date the referendum was first announced, this is a direct threat to Guyana’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence, and in violation of fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN and OAS (Organization of American States) Charters,” Ali said.  

Maduro announced that foreign companies working in the disputed Guyanese county of Essequibo would have to withdraw within three months, asserting his right to do so after Venezuelan voters backed the December 3 referendum seeking ownership of the area. 

“I propose a special law to prohibit all companies that work under Guyana concessions from any transaction. They have three months to withdraw once his proposal is approved,” Maduro added. 

While Maduro has not yet dispatched any military forces to enforce his demands, he said he would be creating a military unit for the disputed territory, but that it would be based in a neighboring Venezuelan state. 

In his broadcast, Ali said the measures announced “are in blatant disregard of the order given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1,” and that “Guyana views this as an imminent threat to its territorial integrity and will intensify precautionary measures to safeguard its territory”. 

Ali said he has already spoken to the UN Secretary General Antonio Gueterres “and several leaders alerting them of these dangerous developments and the desperate actions of President Maduro that fly in the face of international law and constitute a grave threat to international peace and security”. 

He said Guyana would “bring this matter to the United Nations Security Council for appropriate action to be taken by that body” on Wednesday. 

“Further, we have engaged CARICOM (Caribbean Community), the OAS, the Commonwealth and many of our bilateral partners, including the United States of America, Brazil, the United Kingdom and France,” the Guyanese President said. “The Guyana Defence Force is on full alert and has engaged its military counterparts, including the US Southern Command.” 

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Hilton Todd on Wednesday held talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gill, as tensions between the two countries heightened in the past 24 hours over the ownership of the Essequibo region. 

A statement by Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that the telephone discussions had been initiated by Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana Carlos Amador Pérez Silva. 

“Minister Todd expressed concern over the recent actions emanating from Caracas over the last 24 hours, which were in direct violation of the Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1, 2023,” according to the brief statement issued by the ministry. 

It said Todd reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the resolution of the controversy through the ongoing judicial process and encouraged Venezuela to participate in the case before the court. 

“Minister Todd further reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the respect for international law, and the need for the maintenance of peace and security in the region,” the statement said. “He encouraged respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”