- SVG open to facilitating constructive dialogue over disputed Essequibo region
St Vincent is open to facilitating a constructive dialogue between Guyana and Venezuela over the ongoing border dispute.
The relationship between Georgetown and Caracas has become more strained following a referendum on Sunday, in which Venezuelans chose to assert their control over the Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves noted that the Cuban administration has also been actively working to schedule a meeting, preferably at the presidential level.
“I sent our Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves to Cuba a couple of weeks ago to deal with some matters concerning us bilaterally, but also to address this question with the Cuban president and the foreign minister. And they were urging me, for several reasons, including the stature of the leadership of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the region and my close friendship with the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela, to see if we could have a conversation. Because if people are talking, you’re unlikely to fight, even though you have differences on the issues”.
Gonsalves stated that he commenced the discussions on the issue on September 29th, following a climate conference in Grenada. The vice president of Venezuela and the foreign minister were there, engaging in a discussion with other leaders from Barbados and CARICOM, including the prime ministers of the Bahamas, Grenada, St. Kitts, and Dominica.
“I decided that I was going to reach out in a more sustained way. And as I said, I went to Venezuela, and we had a tentative date for them to come to St. Vincent. However, that meeting didn’t come off. And we see an escalation of words. We see the referendum, and we see Guyana has now gone to the UN Security Council”.
“It’s a difficult situation, and the conversation may produce something, particularly when you’re having the discussion at some time in the future on marine space. Something may come of it. There may be a pullback from the brink. There may not be complete satisfaction. On either side, there may be a mutually agreed-upon level of dissatisfaction. But we have to ensure that there is no war. Because everybody is going to suffer”.
Gonsalves expressed his self-restraint in order to maintain sufficient adaptability to provide assistance and actively participate in conversations, should the opportunity arise.
“I am for a mature, wise conversation with patience and calm. I stated what has been our position historically: Guyana is a close friend of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and I am relying on maturity and wisdom in Caracas and in Georgetown, and I’m relying on patience and calm in Georgetown and in Caracas, for a lessening of the tensions and the harsh words, and for there to be some structured conversations. And if we can help facilitate that, well, that would be for the good”.
Gonsalves said consistently St. Vincent and CARICOM during each heads of government summit assert and reassert the absolute protection of Guyana’s borders and advocate for peace. These are ongoing priorities that we continue to advocate for.
The Brazilian government on Thursday announced its endorsement of the ongoing International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings aimed at resolving the dispute about the legitimacy of the 1899 Arbitral Award.
Nevertheless, in light of recent actions taken by the Nicolas Maduro administration to effectively incorporate the Essequibo region, Lula is advocating for mediation.
“I suggest that CELAC’s fellow current president can discuss the issue with both parties: Guyana and Venezuela. Brazil is available to host as many negotiation meetings as necessary. We do not want and do not need more war, especially on our continent. We have to build peace to improve people’s lives,” the Brazilian Head of State said.
Guyana’s position is that the matter is squarely before the ICJ for resolution.
“There is no interest on the Guyana side to return to bilateral talks on the issue since many decades of these talks have yielded no fruit. However, we remain open to dialogue with Venezuela on any other issue,” Georgetown stated.
Caricom is expected to hold an emergency session tomorrow to discuss the latest developments between Venezuela and Guyana in the dispute over the Essequibo region.
