Venezuela, Guyana agree not to ‘use force’ to settle Essequibo dispute
- Leaders met in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to discuss bitter dispute over vast border region rich with oil and minerals
- Century-old dispute was recently reignited with the discovery of oil in Guyana, Venezuela referendum to claim land
The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana pledged after direct talks not to resort to force to settle a long-simmering – and recently reheated – territorial dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo region, a joint statement said.
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Guyana’s Irfaan Ali shook hands after a two-hour meeting on Thursday on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The two sides agreed that they “will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent read the three-page statement, which included concrete measures to ensure tensions on the ground do not escalate suddenly.
But neither Venezuela nor Guyana agreed on the proper global jurisdiction to settle the territorial dispute over Essequibo, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.
