Venezuela and Guyana agree to maintain communication and avoid escalation around the Essequibo

Published at: 14/12/2023 08:53 PM

After a high-level meeting between the presidents of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and Guyana, Irfaan Ali, the members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and International Observers read out the agreements reached in Kingstown.

It is a document composed of 11 points that was signed by both leaders contained in the Joint Declaration, which was read by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, in which they agree to maintain communication and avoid escalation surrounding the Essequibo.

The following is the joint statement by Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali at the end of the day of dialogue in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

Argyle's Joint Declaration for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela

On Thursday, December 14, 2023, in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, His Excellency Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and His Excellency Nicolás Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, held talks on issues related to the territory in dispute between their two countries.

These debates were facilitated by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Pro-Tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves; and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and President of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Roosevelt Skerrit. Prime Ministers Gonsalves and Skerrit, together with H.E. D. Celso Amorim, Special Counselor and Personal Envoy of H.E. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, acted as principal interlocutors. Also present were the honorable Prime Ministers of the Caribbean Community, namely: the Honourable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of Bahamas; the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada; the Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia; the Honourable Terrence Drew of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

They attended as observers, representing His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellencies Earle Courtenay Rattray, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Miroslav Jenca, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding. In addition, His Excellency Mr. Álvaro Leyva Durán, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia, and Mr. Gerardo Torres Zelaya, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Honduras, participated in his capacity as a CELAC Troika.

All parties attending the Argyle meeting (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) reiterated their commitment to keeping Latin America and the Caribbean a Zone of Peace.

Guyana and Venezuela stated the following:

1. They agreed that Guyana and Venezuela directly or indirectly should not threaten each other or use force against each other under any circumstances, including those deriving from any existing controversy between the two states.

2. They agreed that any dispute between the two States will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of February 17, 1966.

3. Committed to the search for good neighborhoods and peaceful coexistence and unity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

4. They took note of Guyana's assertion that it is committed to the process and procedures of the International Court of Justice for the resolution of the border dispute. They took note of Venezuela's assertion of its lack of consent and lack of recognition of the International Court of Justice and its jurisdiction in the border dispute.

5. They agreed to continue the dialogue on any other outstanding issues of mutual importance to the two countries.

6. They agree that both States will refrain, either in word or in fact, from intensifying any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them. The two States will cooperate to avoid incidents on the ground that lead to tensions between them. In the event of such an incident, the two States will immediately communicate with each other, with CARICOM, CELAC and with the President of Brazil, to contain it, reverse it and prevent its recurrence.

7. They agreed to immediately establish a joint commission of the foreign and technical ministers of the two States to deal with the mutually agreed issues, an update of this joint commission will be presented to the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela within three months.

8. Both States agreed that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, President Pro Tempore of CELAC; Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, current president of CARICOM, President Luis Ugnacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil will continue to address the matter as interlocutors and the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres as an observer with the permanent participation of presidents Airfaan Ali and Nicolás Maduro. To avoid doubts, the role of Prime Minister Gonsalves will continue even after Saint Vincent, Grenadine Islands, ceases to be the pro tempore president of CELAC within the framework of the CELAC +1 troika, and Prime Minister Skerrit's role will continue as a member of the CARICOM Bureau.

9. Both States agreed to meet again in Brazil in the next three months or at another agreed time to consider any matter with implications for the disputed territory, including the above-mentioned update of the Joint Commission.

10. We express our gratitude to Prime Ministers Gonsalves and Skerrit, to President Lula and to his personal envoy Celso Amorín, and to all the other CARICOM prime ministers present, to the officials of the CARICOM secretariat, to the CELAC troika and to the Head of the PTP Secretariat of CELAC in St. Vincent, Grenadine Islands, His Excellency Mr. Douglas Slater for their respective roles in the success of this meeting.

11. We express our gratitude to the Government and the People of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for their kind facilitation and hospitality at this meeting. Dated December 14, 2023.”

Mazo News Team