“We cannot go by their playbook, that every time they sabre rattle, we need to run around the place like headless chickens,” Dr Jagdeo said. Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, has already been isolated by the international community. The general secretary maintained that any attempts to hastily respond to his baseless allegations against Guyana will only give him relevance.
“We have the support of the [International Court of Justice], we have the support of the entire international community…and we as a nation need to stand together against this fraudulent regime and their fraudulent elections [for] the Essequibo region,” the general secretary asserted.
In support of earlier pronouncements made by the Guyana defence force’s chief-of-defence staff, Dr Jagdeo reiterated that any Venezuelan living in Guyana who attempts to participate in the May 25 sham elections will be promptly deported. Also, any Guyanese who participates will face the full brunt of the law.
The general secretary, who also performs the function of vice president, urged Guyanese to be wary of circulating Venezuelan propaganda on the border controversy.
“I want to urge these political commentators, some of them from the opposition, to stop spreading Venezuelan fake news and propaganda,” he noted.
Dr Jagdeo reiterated the government’s firm stance – that all 83,000 square miles belong to Guyana. “We control the entire 83,000 square miles of the sovereign state of Guyana,” he said.
On 30 October 2023, Guyana filed a request for the indication of provisional measures due to its concern over the Government of Venezuela’s stated intention to hold a so-called “Consultative Referendum” on 3 December 2023 regarding the purported creation of the State of “Guayana Esequiba” within Venezuela, comprising the territory at issue in the current proceedings.
In its Order of 1 December 2023, the ICJ stated that, in light of the strong tension that characterized the relations between the Parties, it considered that the conduct of Venezuela — in organizing such a referendum and asserting that it would take concrete action on the basis of the results of that referendum — presented a serious risk of Venezuela acquiring and exercising control and administration of the territory in dispute. The Court therefore, directed Venezuela to refrain from taking any action, pending a final decision in the case, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.
The Court further instructed both Parties to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute or make it more difficult to resolve.
The ICJ doubled down on this position on the 1st of May when Guyana made the Court aware of the sham elections slated to be held on May 25 for the Essequibo region.
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