Geneva Agreement of 1966 overcame the irite and invalid award of 1899

Published at: 04/10/2024 07:58 PM

Venezuela issued a strong official statement this Friday, October 4, in which it categorically rejects the cynical and fallacious message issued by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the null and void Arbitral Award of Paris of October 3, 1899, which sought to strip Venezuela of its territory in Esequiba Guiana and which today the Guyanese government intends to revive.

The aforementioned statement was published by the Foreign Minister of the Republic, Yvań Gil, through his account on the social network Instagram, in which Venezuela recalled that it has never granted, nor will it grant its consent, to submit the territorial dispute over Venezuelan Guiana Essequiba to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, as Guyana claims, and that it was confirmed by Venezuelans in the Consultative Referendum of December 3, 2023.

The letter also states: “The Arbitral Award of 1899 was vastly surpassed by the Geneva Agreement, signed on February 17, 1966, between Venezuela, the United Kingdom and British Guiana, today the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, with the objective of ending the territorial dispute through a practical, acceptable and satisfactory settlement for all parties.”

Below is the full text of the statement:

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Announcement

With its statement, Guyana continues to lie to the world, desperately seeking to ignore that Venezuela has incontrovertible historical titles over the territory of Guiana Essequiba. On the other hand, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is simply heir to a historic colonial plunder executed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain, to satisfy its imperial policy and seize the immense wealth of Venezuela.

The entire process that gave rise to the 1899 Arbitration Award was clearly fraudulent. The Washington Treaty of 1897, which served as its basis, was negotiated between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America, deceiving Venezuela, resulting in an unequal and unfair treaty and the original source of the invalidity of the criminal award of 1899.

Against this background, there is no doubt that the Paris Arbitration Award of 1899 is null and void. Its legal source, the composition of the court, its lack of motivation and the excess of power that characterized it make this award one of the most scandalous abuses against a Latin American Republic in two centuries and a clear expression of the territorial plunder committed by the British Empire, from which the Cooperative Republic of Guyana seeks to extract territorial benefits and present itself, at the same time, as a victim.

The arbitral award of 1899 was vastly surpassed by the Geneva Agreement, signed on February 17, 1966, between Venezuela, the United Kingdom and British Guiana, now the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, with the objective of ending the territorial dispute through a practical, acceptable and satisfactory settlement for all parties.

This Agreement is in force and is the regulatory framework that must be complied with in good faith by the parties, in accordance with international law.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela confirms that the International Court of Justice has no jurisdiction to hear Guyana's unilateral claim regarding the “validity” of the 1899 Award.

True to its historic position, overwhelmingly ratified by the Venezuelan people in the consultative referendum held on December 3, 2023, Venezuela has never granted, nor will it grant its consent to submit the territorial dispute over Guiana Essequiba to the jurisdiction of the Court.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela demands that the Cooperative Republic of Guyana cease its threats, together with its imperial partners, against the Venezuelan people and strictly comply with the Geneva Agreement, as the only valid path for a peaceful and satisfactory solution for both parties on the territory of Guiana Essequiba.

The Venezuelan sun rises in the Essequibo!

Caracas, October 04, 2024