The United States of America has clarified its position on the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, noting that the situation still warrants a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means.
The border controversy between the two neighbouring territories was on top of the agenda when new United States Ambassador Perry Holloway met with Journalists on Monday at the US Embassy, Georgetown
Questioned on the US’s position on the controversy, which has been drawing international interest, Holloway said his country’s stance remained that the two countries must maintain peace and remain consistent with the adherence to international law.
The land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela was decided by arbitration in 1899. Venezuela, however, has been fighting, yet failing to prove that that award was, as it claimed, null and void.
Holloway said all parties needed to respect the 1899 ruling until the appropriate body decides otherwise. He warned, however, that in the interim, it was important that both parties refrain from anything that would cause things to spiral out of control.
On Sunday, former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran had criticised the US position on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy as “wholly inadequate and inexplicable”. Ramkarran singled out the US for not explicitly confirming Guyana’s borders from 1899 to the present.
According to Ramkarran, the confirmation of such by the US, based on historical facts, would be “fair and just”.
On Monday, in offering clarity on the issue, the US Ambassador reaffirmed the need to respect the 1899 ruling, adding that “an active position of the United States is first, we encourage both sides to try to address the boundary dispute through diplomatic means and not do anything that will raise the concerns of one side or the other,” he said.
He reminded that the US was now only concerned about the “peaceful resolution, continued dialogue and respect for international law”.
With respect to tangible support for Guyana, the newly-appointed Ambassador said, “As far as do we intervene or support, each situation is different and the circumstances that would bring about the situation is different and so everything is being resolved on a case-by-case basis.”
The aggression by Venezuela became more potent in May of this year when US oil and gas exploration company ExxonMobil, declared that it had discovered oil in Guyana’s waters.
The company was carrying out exploratory work in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. Asked if the US would not be more interested in the issue because of the involvement of one of its companies in the fiasco, Holloway said the US has a policy that all companies must adhere to the law of the country in which they operate.
“We support our companies, but we do expect our US companies to comply with international law and norms. So whether it is a US company or a Chinese company, I don’t think that would dramatically change our view on the issue going on,” Holloway told the media.
Just last week, at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York, President David Granger called for the controversy to be taken to the International Court of Justice, expressing confidence that the UN’s involvement would bring a favourable resolution to the issue, since the recurring ‘Good Officer’s process which existed for some 23 years, has yielded very little success in this regard.
He said that Guyana for 50 years has been prevented from fully exploiting its rich natural resources as Venezuela has been threatening and deterring investors and frustrating the country’s economic development.
The President also urged the UN to fully represent the interests of small States, whom he said were continuously intimidated by larger States.
He said the Charter of the United Nations enjoined the responsibility to “bring about, by peaceful means and in conformity, the settlement of international dispute”. According to him, this responsibility is essential to the existence and survival of small States that are threatened by powerful states. Small States, he said, risk being subjugated unless the international community can demonstrate the capability and commitment to provide an effective deterrent against domination by larger, stronger states.
His call had come some two days after he along with Venezuela’s President NicolÁs Maduro met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and had discussions on the issue.
President Granger said Guyana resisted Venezuela’s acts of aggression in defiance of the Charter of the United Nations, which prescribes the peaceful settlement of disputes and prescribes the use of armed force. He maintained that Guyana’s border with Venezuela was settled 116 years ago, a fact that the whole world, except the Bolivarian Republic, accepts.
However, President Maduro in his address to the UN denied engaging in acts of aggression towards Guyana as the controversy continues.
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