GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC- Venezuela’s ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Pérez Silva, says the South American nation has no intention of invading Guyana even when the December 4 referendum approves the transfer by Caracas to have the Essequibo area within the Caribbean Group (CARICOM) nation declared as part of his nation.
“No, by no means,” he stated, insisting, “it’s no conflict, okay. Diplomacy and negotiation,” he stated.
The diplomat instructed the Demerara Waves On-line Information that the deployment of troops alongside the border with Guyana was aimed toward clamping down on gold smuggling and different crimes.
Pérez Silva stated the December 3 referendum could be an “inside exercise” for Venezuelans in line with the regulation, including, “There is no such thing as a intention in any way to create a battle or one thing like that.”
The United Nations Secretary-Normal, Antonio Guterres, has expressed concern on the current escalation of pressure between Guyana and Venezuela over the border controversy between them.
In a uncommon case of nationwide unity, the Guyana parliament final Monday formally rejected Venezuela’s claims to possession of the mineral and forest-rich county of Essequibo, with each authorities and opposition legislators denouncing the transfer by Caracas.
The federal government has additionally denied Venezuela’s declare of joint efforts by america and Guyana to extend a army presence alongside the border with Guyana, with Caracas additionally accusing President Irfaan Ali of constant to “refuse to interact in direct dialogue” with the South American nation on the border problem.
Guyana has already requested the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ) to dam a number of questions proposed by Venezuela, looking for a well-liked vote to assist the South American authorities’s stance of not recognizing the ICJ to settle the decades-old border problem.
Venezuela’s deliberate referendum and its accredited questions for the referendum later this yr have set off a wave of criticisms, with the Guyana authorities accusing Venezuela of making an attempt to annex components of the nation’s territory in contravention of worldwide regulation.
The 15-member Caribbean Group (CARICOM), the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Group of American States (OAS) have additionally rejected the referendum stating that worldwide regulation strictly prohibits the Authorities of 1 State from unilaterally seizing, annexing, or incorporating the territory of one other state and famous that the referendum would open the door to the doable violation of this elementary tenet of worldwide regulation.
Caracas has already indicated that ought to the referendum achieve success, it intends to grant citizenship and identification playing cards to inhabitants dwelling within the Essequibo.
However the Venezuela envoy insisted that no army motion was being deliberate.
“It is a misinterpretation as a result of in the event you see within the social media blogs, it’s that Venezuela is pretending annexation of the Essequibo. No, we’re going in line with worldwide regulation and diplomacy. We aren’t speaking about any battle, no conflict, nothing in any respect,” he stated.
The Venezuelan diplomat stated all stakeholders ought to await the ICJ sitting later this week when Caracas will make a “detailed rationalization” on the difficulty.
He reiterated that the motion of troops near Venezuela’s border with Guyana was aimed toward tackling unlawful gold mining, drug trafficking, trafficking in individuals, gangs, and different “inside safety” issues as a part of an operation codenamed “Operation Roraima.”
“The mobilization is in numerous States of Venezuela. It’s nothing. It’s not a provocation,” he added.
Associated
