The foreign minister of neighboring nation Guyana warned that if President Nicolás Maduro does not ease tensions with Guyana, Venezuela could face being ostracized by the international community. This comes ahead of a meeting between the two countries’ high-level officials.
Hugh Todd, in anticipation of the summit in St Vincent on Thursday, stated that we have observed the consequences of nation states choosing to act independently throughout history. Typically, this results in setting the country back by several decades.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the president of Guyana, will have a meeting with Maduro, along with representatives from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Brazil, in an effort by regional leaders to persuade Maduro to stop his aggressive language regarding the disputed Essequibo area.
Venezuela has asserted ownership over the oil-rich section of rainforest that has comprised two-thirds of Guyana since the 1800s. However, Maduro has increased tensions in recent months.
Maduro declared that the Venezuelan population supported his decision to reject the ongoing arbitration process in the international court of justice and establish a new Venezuelan state by converting a 160,000 sq km area of rainforest. The referendum took place earlier this month.
After the vote, Maduro presented an updated map of Venezuela on national television and declared that he would grant Venezuelan citizenship to those living in the region, causing concerns that he is preparing for a takeover of land.
The US conducted military flyovers in Guyana after Ali restated that they have not ruled out any options.
During a recent regional conference, nations from various parts of South America urged for communication between the two countries in order to ease tensions in the region.
Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St Vincent and leader of Celac, emphasized the importance of reducing the conflict and engaging in constructive discussions.
Despite a joint effort among the region to avoid conflict, there is no clear solution to the ongoing diplomatic dispute.
Maduro stated prior to the meeting that relying on international courts to handle the territorial dispute is not viable and could lead to a worsening of the situation. Meanwhile, Guyanese officials are insistent that the Hague is the only suitable location for resolving the issue.
Todd stated that there will be absolutely no negotiation. He emphasized that there will be zero negotiations and that the matter will be resolved by the ICJ definitively.
Maduro’s actions are widely perceived as a tactic to garner domestic support before the upcoming presidential elections in the following year.
According to Todd, providing Maduro with a reward as a response to his aggression was not feasible because it would only fuel further acts of war.
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We are not in a situation where both parties are following the rules and there are issues that we can discuss in order to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. For President Maduro, this is a game with no potential for both sides to benefit. He is openly disregarding international laws and must align himself and his administration accordingly, as per our stance.
The value of President Maduro to the region lies not in what the region can offer him, but in what he can offer to the region.
Leaders from neighboring countries will remind Maduro that if his country continues to show signs of wanting to invade, it will face diplomatic isolation and worsen its already dire economic situation.
In the last ten years, 7.3 million people have been forced to leave Venezuela due to economic mismanagement, widespread corruption, and imposed economic sanctions.
According to Todd, if President Maduro continues to behave as an authoritarian leader who disregards both domestic and international laws, he will isolate himself from the political and economic systems, which would have negative consequences for your country.
It is unlikely that any respectable nation would consider Maduro credible. His actions will consistently be denounced and he lacks the ability to engage his country in the international political and economic landscape. In short, it is a straightforward matter.
Todd stated that the issue at hand is not solely focused on Guyana and the global community, but rather on Maduro and the citizens of Venezuela. If Maduro truly values his people and the well-being of the region, he should drastically change his actions.
Source: theguardian.com
