126 years ago, an arbitration tribunal in Paris issued a ruling that detached the territory of the Guayana Esequiba from Venezuela. Today, the Bolivarian nation commemorates that date by reaffirming its categorical rejection of an immoral and illegal act. President Nicolás Maduro led the commemoration of this historic episode.
From his account on Telegram, the Venezuelan president strongly condemned the farce of 1899. He noted that this award was a clear example of colonial diplomacy, orchestrated by the old European powers and the then-nascent US empire, protected by the Monroe Doctrine.
He explained that the decision was fraudulent because it was made behind Venezuela’s back: «Our homeland was denied the right to defense and participation,» he stated. He emphasized that the process was riddled with flaws, under coercion and the threat of force by the British Crown.
Venezuela’s position is clear and irrevocable: it will never recognize this award, which it considers anachronistic, null, and void. The Venezuelan government claims that its right over the Guayana Esequiba is libertarian and stands up against what it defines as a colonial plunder orchestrated more than a century ago.
In the face of this invalid ruling, Venezuela ratifies the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only viable legal instrument. This treaty, signed with the United Kingdom before Guyana’s independence, is the legitimate path to reaching a practical and mutually acceptable solution.
The award was fabricated through the usurpation of Venezuela’s defense, the forgery of documents and maps, and the use of subterfuge. These serious violations of international law are the fundamental evidence that defines the 1899 judgment as null and void.