To win a motion of censure, the opposition referenced the losses in the petroleum industry and Granger’s warmongering attitude towards Venezuela.
The President of Guyana David Granger, has been censured by the Parliament, which means that the government will be dissolved and elections must be called for a successor in the next 90 days.
This is the first time in the history of Guyana that a motion to censure has been successful, with 33 votes in favor and 32 votes against, and which has succeeded in ending the government in power.
To win a motion of censure, the opposition referenced the losses in the petroleum industry which were considered to have been conceded to the Exxon Mobil company.
The Progressive Party of the People pushed for the censure as they are opposed the government concessions and the warlike attitude Granger has been taking towards Venezuela.
For its part, Venezuela maintains its historical claim over the Esequibo region and is committed to maintaining a dialogue, a stance which has not been reciprocated by Granger.
Esequibo is an area of over 160,000 km, which is claimed by Venezuela but administered by Guyana. The claim dates back to colonial times when the area was taken through the interventionism of the United States and Great Britain and codified via the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration of 1899.
The Geneva Accords, however, recognized Venezuela’s sovereignty over Esequibo and annulled the finding of the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration. Despite that, the government of Guyana has violated the treaty on 15 occasions by granting concessions to foreign companies looking to exploit the region.
Venezuela demands Guyana respect its territorial sovereignty
This was reported by the Chancellor of the Republic, Jorge Arreaza, through Twitter account. “Faced with the flagrant violation of our sovereignty by oil exploration vessels contracted by Guyana, the Bolivarian Navy proceeded to apply the corresponding protocols with strict rigor and adherence to international agreements and treaties,” the foreign minister wrote.
Arreaza shared an official statement, which states that Venezuela “has transferred the corresponding note of protest to the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in the face of this unacceptable violation of national sovereignty.”
Likewise, the letter urges Guyana to re-establish direct dialogue with the Venezuelan authorities on the flagrant violation of sovereignty.
Here is the full statement:
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela informs the national and international community that the Bolivarian National Navy, carrying out its customary patrols for the Venezuelan Atlantic facade, corresponding to the day 12/22/2018, in charge of the Kariña Oceanic Patrolman (PO-14 ), spotted the unprecedented presence in jurisdictional waters of Venezuela of two seismic exploration vessels, RAMFOR of the Bahamas flag and DELTA MONARCH of the Trinidad and Tobago flag, both hired by the transnational ExxonMobil. The ships referred to were at the coordinates Latitude 09 ° 17 ‘4 “N Longitude 058 ° 15’ 7” W and Latitude 09 ° 15 ‘0 “Longitude 058 ° 17’ 3” W, in the maritime projection of the Orinoco Delta indubitable sovereignty of Venezuela.
Faced with this flagrant violation of sovereignty, the relevant international protocols were applied to this type of event and national sovereignty was safeguarded with strict adherence to international agreements and treaties.
It is important to note that in the exchange of communication with the captains of the exploration vessels, they claimed to have a permit from the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to operate in said maritime space. We proceeded to inform them that said country does not have jurisdiction in the maritime projection of the Orinoco Delta, as a result of which they lifted the slaughter and sailed towards waters of the extensive area in claim that projects the Esequiba coast.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has informed the Secretary General of the United Nations and transferred the corresponding note of protest to the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in the face of this unacceptable violation of national sovereignty that goes far beyond the territorial dispute over the Guayana Esequiba, has crossed with this unprecedented incursion all the limits, when claiming to have maritime spaces of the projection of the Amacuro Delta, of undoubted Venezuelan sovereignty.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela based on the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace, reiterates to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana the call to reestablish direct and respectful dialogue on this sensitive matter, while guaranteeing its firm determination to defend sovereignty of the Republic and the interests of the Venezuelan people based on the most scrupulous respect for International Law.
Venezuela urges the US to respect international law and Venezuelan sovereignty
The vice minister for North America of the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs, Carlos Ron, demanded that the United States respect Venezuela’s international law and sovereignty.
“Instead of trying to ignite conflicts between peaceful neighbors in the name of business interests, the US government should, for the first time, respect international law and Venezuelan sovereignty, take care of their problems,” the diplomat said through his account. Twitter
The deputy minister’s statements respond to the statements issued by the Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, Kimberly Breier, in relation to the controversy between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
On Saturday, December 22, two oil exploration vessels of the oil transnational ExxonMobil entered territorial waters of Venezuela, for which reason the Bolivarian Navy proceeded to apply the corresponding protocols to international agreements and treaties.