Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent expressed his desire for the Organisation of American States (OAS) to postpone a scheduled debate on Monday (11th) about a resolution that may lead to additional measures being taken against Venezuela.
Gonsalves declared on Saturday that a rendezvous between President Ali of Guyana and President Maduro of Venezuela is scheduled for Thursday, April 14, in St. Vincent.
Gonsalves emphasised the importance of ensuring that this initial face-to-face interaction and any future ones are not disrupted or hindered in any way.
“You can resolve misunderstandings—agent provocateurs can create challenges as well. And if you’re talking, and you’re respectful, and you’re mature, understanding, and wise, and you take your populations along with you in that particular process, you are less likely to end up with threats of force or the actual use of force.”
In a release on December 7, the OAS said there is a sense of urgency and gravity regarding the aggressive stance of the Maduro regime of Venezuela towards the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which has escalated to a point of significant concern for regional security and constitutes a matter that threatens the stability and territorial sovereignty within our hemisphere.
“The Maduro regime is continuing to take and promote unlawful actions against Guyana, such as conducting an illegal and illegitimate referendum on December 3, 2023, by which it seeks to annex the Essequibo region. This action was taken not only in flagrant disregard for international law and decisions of the ICJ but also, once more, with an undemocratic use of democratic processes, the release stated.
The release stated that recent actions taken by the regime in Venezuela not only jeopardise the development and stability of Guyana but also pose a broader risk to the security of Latin America and the Caribbean—a situation that has been repeatedly condemned by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The OAS said In light of these developments and the ICJ decision on provisional measures against Venezuela on December 1, 2023, the General Secretariat reaffirms and endorses the request for a meeting of the Permanent Council with the aim of discussing possible measures to mitigate the crisis and exploring solutions that respect international law and regional stability.
