The Executive Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, reaffirmed the country’s historical position on the territory of Guayana Esequiba, asserting that it has been part of its geographic identity since the time of the Captaincy General.
During the closing ceremony of the Updating Seminar for Generals and Admirals of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), Rodríguez emphasized that Venezuela has full authority to demonstrate that the area never belonged to the British Empire, and denounced the attempts to dispute its sovereignty as motivated by interests seeking to exploit its natural resources.
The senior official described the Paris Arbitration Award (1899) as null and void, and (said it) has no legal effect on Venezuelan sovereignty. She also reiterated that the government will not recognize any decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the case, and accused the court of “attempting to grant Guyana a nonexistent legal title.»
Dignitary Rodríguez maintained that, since 2015, coordinated attacks against Venezuela have intensified, involving the Guyanese government, the United States, and the ExxonMobil oil company. She asserted that these actions violate the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which establishes peaceful negotiation as the only way to resolve the dispute.