Venezuela’s impending national referendum on the disputed Essequibo area, according to Guyana, “amounts to nothing less than the annexation of Guyana’s territory.”
Guyana government in a statement Monday stated that the referendum and takeover of Guyanese property “would constitute an international crime of aggression.”
Venezuela’s nationwide Electoral Council has authorized five issues for the December 3, 2023 nationwide referendum.
The Guyanese government stated that any attempt by Venezuela to undermine its territorial integrity and sovereignty will be rejected.
“The people of Guyana remain steadfast in their defense of their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Under international law, neither the government nor the people of one country have the authority to grab, annex, or take the territory of another. “This is expressly prohibited by international law,” Guyana stated.
Venezuela’s persistent actions, Guyana added, have the potential “to incite violence and threaten the peace and security of the State of Guyana and, by extension, the Caribbean region.”
