UK (Commonwealth Union)_ The Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General, conveyed profound apprehension regarding the Venezuelan National Assembly’s recent decision to conduct a referendum concerning the status of the Essequibo region, an integral part of the sovereign territory governed by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Addressing the escalating tension, the Secretary-General underscored the Commonwealth’s solidarity with Guyana, its people, and CARICOM partners, voicing shared concerns regarding the proposed referendum’s implications.
The Secretary-General stated, “The Commonwealth stands with the government and people of Guyana and with our partners in CARICOM in expressing our concern over the questions in the planned referendum. And the Commonwealth continues to stand for the rule of law and reaffirms its firm and steadfast support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereign and territorial integrity of Guyana, and the unobstructed exercise of its rights to develop the entirety of its territory for the benefit of its people”.
Emphasizing the Commonwealth’s steadfast commitment to the rule of law, the Secretary-General reaffirmed unyielding support for the preservation of Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The questions outlined for the referendum by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, particularly Question 5, proposing the establishment of a Venezuelan state within Guyana’s Essequibo territory, along with plans for Venezuelan citizenship and identity cards for Guyanese citizens, contravene established international law prohibiting territorial seizure or annexation by one state from another. The language employed in these questions not only undermines Guyana’s territorial integrity but also contributes to heightened tensions, posing a significant threat to peace and stability within the Commonwealth and the broader Caribbean region.
During the recent meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana on September 17, 2023, the Group reiterated its staunch support for the ongoing judicial process at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which was initiated under the 1966 Geneva Agreement and selected by the United Nations Secretary-General. Encouraging Venezuela’s participation in this process, the Commonwealth Ministerial Group emphasized the significance of the ICJ’s legal jurisdiction over the protracted border dispute. The Commonwealth upholds the utilization of the ICJ as a means for impartially adjudicating on this matter, fostering the spirit of peaceful dispute resolution, contrary to the divergent path proposed by the referendum.
