Guyana says the law enacted by Maduro is an illegal act and will not allow the annexation of Essequibo

Guyana considered the law promulgated by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro an “illegal act” and stated that it will not allow the annexation of the territory of Essequibo by the neighboring country.

President Irfaan Ali released a statement from the Guyanese government signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on social media.

“Venezuela’s attempt to annex more than two-thirds of the sovereign territory of Guyana and make them part of Venezuela is a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law,” the statement writes, citing the Charters of the United Nations (U.N. ) and the Organization of American States (OAS).

“[A lei promulgada] it also contradicts the spirit of the Argyle Joint Declaration for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela, agreed on December 14, 2023 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This illegal act calls into question Venezuela’s duty to respect the principles of this Declaration”, he adds.

The statement cited in the statement refers to the meeting between Ali and Maduro in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in December last year, when the two leaders agreed that they would not use force in the dispute over Essequibo.

The government of Guyana, in its statement on Wednesday (3), also warned Venezuela – as well as the countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the secretaries-general of the UN and OAS – which “will not allow the annexation, seizure or occupation of any part of its sovereign territory”.

“It is regrettable that the commitment made in Argyle to “the pursuit of good neighborliness, peaceful coexistence and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean” is now again seriously threatened by the words and actions of President Maduro”, concludes the text.

Maduro promulgates law annexing Guyanese territory of Essequibo to Venezuela

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, promulgated on Wednesday (3) the so-called Organic Law for the Defense of Essequibo, which creates a Venezuelan region within the territory internationally recognized as part of Guyana.

The text has 39 articles that regulate the founding of “Guiana Essequiba”, as the territory is called by Venezuelans.

Article 25 of the enacted law prevents supporters of the Guyanese government from holding public or elected positions, which creates a layer of protection for Venezuela against critics of the annexation project.

The creation of the law began to be officially discussed in December 2023, in the National Assembly, which proposed the creation of a Venezuelan province in Essequibo.

Also in December, the Venezuelan government held a referendum in which 95% of voters present voted in favor of incorporating the Guyanese territory into Venezuela.

The endorsement of the referendum would give Venezuela permission to explore oil there. Venezuela's electoral authorities said more than 10 million Venezuelans voted in the referendum.

Américo: There is no way to separate the issue in Essequibo from the elections in Venezuela | CNN NEW DAY

“After the people demonstrated constitutionally on December 3, the National Assembly did what it had to do, expanded the call for consultation on the Organic Law for the Defense of Guyana Esequiba,” said Maduro in a publication on platform X this Wednesday .

“With the power that the constitution gives me, the decision taken by Venezuelans in the consultative referendum will be fulfilled in all its parts and, with this Law, we will continue the defense of Venezuela on international stages.”

Guyana says its borders are not subject to dispute and it will defend its sovereignty.

The United States, in turn, expressed its support for Guyana's position. In December, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington stands by its call to the parties for a “peaceful resolution.”

The Essequibo area corresponds to two-thirds of Guyanese territory, therefore an annexation by Venezuela would represent a threat to the integrity of Guyana.