Venezuela's Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, stated that his country will exercise “all the national and military power of the country” to make the incorporation of the territory of the Essequibo region, internationally recognized as part of Guyana, but historically claimed by the neighbouring country.
“Essequibo is ours!”, wrote Padrino López on social X, the old Twitter. “With the Organic Law for the Defense of Guyana Essequiba, we will exercise all the national and military power of the Fatherland to make this feeling that ignites patriotic souls a reality: the full incorporation of the Guyana Essequiba state”, he added.
The minister's post was made after the promulgation, by the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, of the so-called Organic Law for the Defense of Essequibo, this Wednesday (3). The text had been approved by the country's National Assembly in March.
¡EL ESEQUIBO IS NUESTRO! And with the Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba, we will exercise all the national and military power of the Patria to make this feeling a reality that fills patriotic souls: the full incorporation of the state of Guayana Esequiba Let's go… pic.twitter.com/CpH28IOHCy
— Vladimir Padrino L. (@vladimirpadrino) April 4, 2024
The law, with 39 articles, creates “Guiana Essequiba” as a state within the territorial limits of Venezuela and guarantees representation, with a deputy, for the population of “Guiana Essequiba” in the Legislature.
The text reaffirms the government's position of not recognizing the International Court of Justice as a body to resolve the dispute over territory, prohibits the publication of the political map of Venezuela without the incorporation of Essequibo and prohibits access to public positions for those who support or favor the Guyana in controversy.
The law also “allows the President of the Republic to prohibit the conclusion of contracts or agreements with legal entities that are operating or collaborate with the operation in Guyana Essequiba's land territory or in the waters pending to delimit, as well as to adopt reciprocal measures in the territory land or in waters to be delimited”.
“Whoever understands, understands,” said Maduro when promulgating the law, adding: “whoever messes with Venezuela will pay.” He also said that the United States Southern Command, the [petrolífera] ExxonMobil and the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, are “very wrong” to be acting, according to the Venezuelan president, “with a threatening position”.
Guyana, in turn, described the enactment of the law as “illegal”: “Venezuela’s attempt to annex more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory and make them part of Venezuela is a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of law international”, writes the statement from the country's chancellery, citing the Charters of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS).
In an interview with CNN, Vitelio Brustolin, researcher at Harvard University and professor of International Relations at UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense), said that the enactment of the law goes in the opposite direction to what was agreed between Venezuela and Guyana, with facilitation from Brazil, at the end of last year, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The agreement provided for the commitment of both countries to refrain from words or actions that would result in an escalation of the conflict.
Source: CNN Brasil

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