“History and international law are on our side” – Pres. Ali on border controversy with Venezuela

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana, President Dr Irfaan Ali, says that the country is backed by history and international law as it continues to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against the spurious claims of neighbouring Venezuela.

“When it comes to the defence of our territory, we’ve assembled an able and capable team to argue the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Let no one be mistaken, history and international law are on our side. Our borders are sacred, and we will defend them,” Dr Ali declared in his Address to the Nation on Sunday evening at the national flag raising ceremony on the eve of Guyana’s 56th Republic Anniversary.

Guyana has asked the ICJ for a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which establishes the boundaries with Venezuela.

The Spanish-speaking nation is laying claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass and a portion of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) have been found, and production as well as other exploration activities are currently being undertaken offshore.

Both Guyana and Venezuela have already filed their written pleadings on the merits of the case and the World Court has set May 4 for the commencement of oral arguments on the merits. This will be followed by the Court’s deliberations and issuance of its final judgement which will be binding on both countries under international law – something which Guyana has committed to accepting even as it remains confident in a favourable ruling.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity has enjoyed the widespread support of the international community, which President Ali acknowledged.

“I want to recognise members of the diplomatic community, and I want to thank them for their steadfast support for our country, our sovereignty and our territorial integrity,” President Ali stated.

Despite this support, however, Guyana has historically had to grapple with heightened aggression from Venezuela, coming under attack on several occasions as recently as last year.

President Ali reminded on Sunday evening that the valiant Guyanese men and women in uniform on the borders continue to stand vigilantly to ensure that the Republic is safe and secure. Their capability, he assured, is boosted with unprecedented resources from the government.

“As a collective unit – the Guyanese people, we thank our men and women in uniform. We thank them again and again for this selfless service. Know that your home, your land, and your brothers and sisters hold you up. Hold you up every day in strength, honour and dignity,” the Guyanese Leader stated.

Similarly, the Head of State outlined that within the borders, Guyana is becoming safer. This, he noted, is reflected in the statistics between the periods 2016 to 2020, which saw an average of 2,827 serious crimes per year.

Since 2021, however, that number has plummeted to just 1,441 – an almost 50 per cent decline.

“Thank you to our men and women in uniform and all those who form partnership with us to fight crime and to ensure that our communities are safer, our cities are safer, and to ensure that our people live in true love and true dignity with safety as their friend. We are not just building a security sector. We are building a security sector to secure, protect and prevent through a perfect blend of technology, human capital, intelligence and partnership,” President Ali emphasised.

The Commander-in-Chief added, “While we still have much work to do on the security front, the indisputable reality is that our Republic is not just growing wealthier; it is growing safer, proving that development and security are two sides of the same sovereign coin.”