A delegation from the Venezuelan government met with the president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nawaf Salam, to discuss “the next steps” of its territorial dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo, although Caracas insisted that it does not know the jurisdiction of that body to decide on the matter.
The vice president of Nicolás Maduro’s government, Delcy Rodríguez, specified through her social networks that the meeting took place on Tuesday and reiterated the opinion of the Chavista executive that the case before the ICJ is “a process initiated (that began)” by Guyana.
Venezuela and Guyana – even though it was the sovereignty of the English kingdom – have been disputed since the 19th century over a territory of 159,000 square kilometers known as Guayana Esequiba.
The Venezuelan ruling party insists that the 1891 Paris arbitration award is invalid, as Guyana argued in its complaint to the ICJ in 2018.
The vice president, sister of the president of parliament and Maduro’s right-hand man, Jorge Rodríguez, insisted that the case on Essequibo before the International Court of Justice is a “clear ignorance and transgression” of the Geneva Agreement, which Caracas defends as the only valid document for the dispute.
According to a statement shared by the official, Venezuela reiterated in the meeting with Salam “its historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court” in the territorial controversy, nor the decision it could make in this regard.
“Your attendance at this meeting in no way implies the consent of Venezuela or the recognition of said jurisdiction,” stated the Venezuelan government.
Reiterated position before the ICJ
The institutions controlled by Chavismo organized and won a consultative referendum on Essequibo in December, which contemplates the creation of a new Venezuelan state in Essequibo and the appointment of a single authority for that state.
“The Venezuelan people gave a clear and forceful mandate to defend the rights that have belonged to Venezuela since its birth over the territory of Guayana Esequiba,” added the published statement.
In the text, the Maduro government insisted that the Geneva Agreement is “the regulatory framework that must be complied with in good faith by the parties” to end the territorial controversy and called on Guyana to “return to the negotiating table.” ”.
These talks, according to Caracas, would facilitate the “practical, acceptable and satisfactory arrangement for both parties to which they committed in the Geneva Agreement.”
Although Presidents Maduro and Irfam Ali of Guyana signed an agreement on the conflict in December before neighbors in the region, promising not to use force to defend their claims, tensions between both countries have continued this year.
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