Guyanese around the world have been asked by Guyanese United to stage picketing outside their local Venezuelan embassies and consulates on the116th anniversary of the 1899 award that settled all borders between Guyana and Venezuela.
The planned protests are scheduled for Saturday October 3, 2015 beginning at 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The prostest is to send a message to the government of Venezuela that Venezuela must accept the legally binding 1899 Award.
For 50 years Venezuela has carried out acts of intimidation against Guyanese and stymied investments in Guyana by its incursions into Guyana’s sovereign territory. This has prevented the development of the full potential of Guyanese and their resources.
The Government of Guyana and the people of Guyana are seeking a full and final peaceful resolution to this issue that was settled in 1899, a cessation of all threats and intimidation to Guyanese, and a removal of all Venezuelan troops from within the borders of Guyana.
Background to the legally established borders of Guyana.
- In the 1800s there was disagreement between Britain and Venezuela over where the boundary between Venezuela and British Guiana should lie.
- The two countries signed a Treaty in Washington DC in 1897 agreeing to settle the boundary by international arbitration before a panel of judges comprising the world’s most eminent judges in International Law at the time.
- The judges, having conducted exhaustive investigations and examined all the evidence, issued their verdict in Paris in 1899 fixing the boundary where it is today.
- Venezuela accepted the Paris Award unconditionally when it was given in 1899. British Guiana and Venezuela jointly placed boundary markers in 1905 and did the same with Brazil in 1932.
- It was only in 1962 that Veneuela announced that they no longer recognized the Paris Award. Guyana was then about to be granted Independence. Venezuela announced that they considered the Paris Award to be null and void.
- As a result Guyana and Venezuela signed the Geneva Agreement of 1966 whereby Guyana agreed to examine Venezuela’s contention that the 1899 Award is null and void. The sole purpose of the Geneva Agreement is to examine this contention by Venezuela. It is not an agreement to revise the border.
- From 1966 to now Venezuela has refused to produce any evidence to prove its contention that the 1899 Award is null and void.
- Instead Venezuela has pursued a policy of aggression and hostility aimed at scaring investors away, pressuring Guyana to give up its territory and exploiting our resources.
- Venezuela has just issued a decree annexing Guyana’s maritime space where oil has been discovered and mobilized its army against Guyana.
- Guyana is now demanding that Venezuela takes its claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have the matter decided once and for all.
- Guyanese are calling on the international community to support this call to take the matter to the ICJ to preserve peace and stability in the hemisphere.
