Venezuelan elections for Guyana’s Essequibo unlawful- PM Phillips

As Guyanese lawmakers debated the motion reaffirming Guyana’s sovereignty on Friday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said Venezuela’s sham elections for a state in the Essequibo region are unlawful, as no such state exists.

“To elect a governor for Guayana Esequiba is unlawful because the state, Guayana Esequiba, does not exist.

“There is no such state in Guyana. Venezuela has not demonstrated or exercised any political or legal control or jurisdiction over such a state since it does not exist in Guyana

“… Instead, we [Guyanese] have elected officials at the Regional Democratic Council level that exercise political and legal control over the entire Essequibo in the 10 administrative regions and those regions that share the part of Guyana that comprises Guyana,” the Prime Minister said on Friday.

Venezuela announced that it intends to hold elections in the Essequibo, a region that Guyana has administered for over 100 years.

Guyana maintains that Essequibo is an integral part of its sovereign territory, a position upheld by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its December 2023 ruling. So the Venezuelan election plan, scheduled for May 25, 2025, is a violation of the ICJ’s orders and international law.

The motion presented to the House asks the lawmakers to recall the motion passed on November 6, 2023, which reaffirmed the recognition of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the 1966 Geneva Agreement. It also condemns Venezuela’s actions and calls for further support.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton also condemned Venezuela’s actions but noted that the APNU+AFC Parliamentarians wanted to contribute more to the motion. After his contribution to the debate, Mr. Norton and other APNU+AFC Parliamentarians walked out of the House.

The Prime Minister called that action “unpatriotic” and said the country should be united in the face of the aggression from Venezuela.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker and opposition parliamentarian who represents the joinder list, Dr. Asha Kissoon, urged her colleagues to act more maturely and stand with the government to reaffirm Guyana’s sovereignty.