Caracas rejects “unacceptable Washington interference”

MADRID, December 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The spokesman for the United States Department of State, Matthew Miller, assured this Monday that the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela regarding the Essequibo – on Guyanese territory but claimed by Caracas as its own – cannot be resolved by holding a referendum. consider the opinions of both parties.

“We support a peaceful resolution of the border conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. The 1899 decree stipulates that the land border between Venezuela and Guyana must be respected unless the parties reach a new agreement or a competent legal body decides otherwise (… ) This is not something that can be resolved through a referendum,” Miller said.

Likewise, in a press conference, he urged Venezuela and Guyana to continue seeking a “peaceful solution” to a territorial dispute that began in the 19th century.

VENEZUELA REJECTS US INTERFERENCE

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, for his part, rejected the “unacceptable interference” from Washington, and accused US authorities of continuing to act under the “disastrous Monroe Doctrine”, an initiative adopted by president James Monroe in 1823 and which stipulated that any intervention by Europeans in the Americas would be viewed as an act of aggression to which the United States would respond.

“Venezuela categorically rejects recent statements by the State Department spokesperson (Matthew Miller), regarding consultations held on December 3, that constitute unacceptable interference. “The United States, backed by the disastrous Monroe doctrine, was the architect, along with British imperialism, the fraud of 1899 and recent efforts to revoke Venezuela’s historic rights to Guayana Esequiba,” read a statement.

Therefore, the minister recalled the 1966 Geneva Agreement signed between the United Kingdom (Guyana’s former colonial power) and Venezuela in which they recognized the Essequibo as a disputed territory. Guyana argues that Caracas agreed to cede the Essequibo after the decision was taken in 1899, but Venezuela later revoked the decision.

“As a result, the United States has only ratified its contempt for International Law and its inability to understand the process by which truly free peoples exercise democratic participation to decide their fundamental issues,” said Gil, who vowed to defend the “democratic expression” of those freedoms. . the Venezuelan people in the face of “extortion and threats”.

Venezuelan authorities on Sunday announced approval of a referendum claiming two-thirds of Guyana’s territory despite a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Caracas last Friday to avoid any attempts to change the status quo. ‘ from the area.

Political tensions between the two countries have increased in recent months, in part because the ICJ declared itself competent to handle the case, which goes against Venezuela’s criteria.