The US Department of State in a press release indicated that the United States is calling for a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela on the Essequibo region of Guyana and “ for all parties to respect the 1899 arbitral award determining the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana, unless, or until, the parties reach a new agreement, or a competent legal body decides otherwise.”
The release noted that this was expressed to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali by Secretary Blinken via a phone call. Citing the recent order of the International Court of Justice issued on December 1, it further stated that “the United States looks forward to working closely with Guyana once it assumes its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in January 2024.
On December 1, the International Court of Justice as part of its provisional measures ordered that “pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.
During the call both President Ali and Secretary Blinken spoke about the importance of maintaining peace in the region. The Secretary of State also reaffirmed “the United States’ unwavering support for Guyana’s Sovereignty.
President Ali on every engagement on the border controversy locally, regionally and internationally has maintained that Guyana seeks a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.