Maduro: in Guyana “they will not be able to ignore the will” of Venezuela in territorial dispute

The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduroassured this Saturday that Guyana will not be able to ignore the will expressed last Sunday, when Venezuela approved, in a unilateral referendum, to annex a territory of about 160,000 square kilometers disputed between the two nations and controlled by the Guyanese Government.

“They did not count on our cunning, the people came out in defense of the Guyana Essequiba (the area in dispute). They will not be able to ignore the sovereign will of Venezuela“, expressed the president through X (formerly Twitter).

LEARN MORE: President of Colombia asks Venezuela and Guyana to tone down the Essequibo conflict

He reiterated that he had always chosen to “direct dialogue with Guyana“, until “their authorities kicked” he Geneva Agreementthe only legal instrument that Venezuela recognizes as legitimate to resolve the controversy, in this case through negotiations between the parties for a mutually satisfactory solution.

The authorities of Guyana “they began to divide our sea, threatening to put up a military base of the United States Southern Command”he stressed, referring to the licenses granted by the Government of Irfaan Ali for oil exploitation in the disputed area.

Despite everything, Maduro insisted that both the Guyanese Executive and the United States Exxon Mobila company that works in the Essequibo under authorization from Georgetown, “They will have to sit down and talk” with the Chavista Government.

“We want peace and understanding. By all means, everything, let the world hear it”added the president.

Ripe signed six decrees on Friday to make previous announcements officialsuch as the designation of a single authority for the disputed territory, who will operate from an area close to the area in dispute, in the same geographical point in which he ordered the establishment of a military division.

The referendum held in Venezuela has triggered tension in the region, in which there have been numerous calls for dialogue, while Guyana sees the actions and statements of Ripe like a “threat” for South America.