Amid the ongoing border controversy with Guyana, Venezuela’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia has told reporters here her country does not want war.
“We don’t want a war. We don’t want any invasion. Nothing like this,” Leif Escalona told a news conference on Friday.
The Venezuelan diplomat said her country would continue to insist on resolving the conflict through permanent dialogue.
Nevertheless, Escalona also said Venezuela would continue to defend its ‘historical, legal, political, and diplomatic truth.’
Guyana and Venezuela have had a long-standing dispute over their borders, Venezuela laying claim to over two-thirds of its neighbor’s territory in the resource-rich Essequibo region.
The dispute intensified after ExxonMobil’s first oil discovery in the region’s territorial waters eight years ago.
Guyana claims the disputed territory based on an 1899 arbitration award, which Venezuela rejects.
Instead, Caracas insists on a 1966 United Nations-brokered agreement for a negotiated solution.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) reiterated its support for the judicial process late last month.
In a statement, CARICOM hoped that Venezuela would engage fully in that process before the International Court of Justice.
The Court has determined that it has the jurisdiction in the case to determine the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award which Venezuela questions.
According to CARICOM, the Court’s final decision will ensure a peaceful, equitable resolution under international law.
Caribbean islands will have to take a side. Venezuela is claiming two thirds of Guyana. They want the oil resources.
When the war starts, we have alot of useful and radically fit men on scooters, on the block, in prison, in parliament and maybe in some secondary schools who are willing and able to assist! You can also take all the women who act like men too!
Venezuela would continue to defend its ‘historical, legal, political, and diplomatic truth. Who knows the truth? The land belongs to the indigenous people. The Europeans came and took the lands, fight amongst themselves, did their own demarcation, so who knows the truth?
“We Reserve The Right To Have The Friends We Want!”
I guess Russia did it so Venezuela want to try a thing to ain’t the not alies they following the alies foot path.
Meanwhile Saint Lucia is wining and dining Maduro while our Caricom neighbour is preparing for potential way. Our foreign policy under this government is so confusing. It’s like every ministry is pushing it’s own agenda.
SLP must be brave! We have always supported Venezuela and Cuba and maintained our anti Anglo-American policy. Our credentials are anti-Western and we must shout them from the highest pulpit. We must not be bullied. We must stand behind Venezuela as Guyana is a British colonial construct. The people of Guyana are an aberration and must be subsumed into Venezuela where they will be happy under a true government of freedom. Our party, the SLP, must continually support our true friends Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela and help our comrades around the Caribbean attain true freedom. Imagine the shame of a Cayman Islander with a British passport, a Martiniquan with a French passport and a Puerto Rican with a US passport. We must help these comrades under oppressive colonialism so that they can enjoy the freedoms and governance that we enjoy here in St. Lucia. We have great leaders comparable to the greatest African freedom fighters. The honarable Phillip Pierre is our Robert Mugabe and the honorable Richard is our Idi Amin. With our 15-2 majority, we must change our constitution and laws away from the Westminster and English models and seek to emulate Cuba and Venezuela. The general proleteriat are not educated and are indoctrinated by Western values and this is why we had to make the decision for the CCJ on their behalf and for their own good.