- Ali -Maduro Talks St Vincent
President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, and Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro have begun face-to-face dialogue in St. Vincent. In attendance are CARICOM, CELAC, Brazil, and UN observers.
This is the second round of discussions today (Thursday 14) aimed at easing the tensions between Guyana and Venezuela.
In the first phase of the engagement at Argyle Airport St. Vincent & the Grenadines, President Ali and President Maduro met in separate meetings with with a number of CARICOM heads where they made presentations reiterating their fundamental positions on the engagement.
President Ifraan Ali of Guyana, upon his arrival, said that he would engage in the debate with a factual attitude, as he briefly addressed the media.
“I am taking the facts with me, and the fact remains that the 1899 Award clearly defines the borders of Guyana and Venezuela, and that is the fact,” Ali said.
Upon his arrival in St. Vincent, President Maduro expressed his intention to capitalise on the discussions in order to ensure the enduring tranquilly of Latin America and the Caribbean.
“I come with the Venezuelan people’s mandate and with words of dialogue and peace, but to defend our people and country’s rights,” Maduro said.
The purpose of the conference is to alleviate the escalating tensions around Essequibo, a large border area rich in oil and minerals, which constitutes a significant portion of Guyana’s territory but is also claimed by Venezuela.
