Minister Courtenay: “We are emphatically in support of Guyana:

Eamon Courtenay

As the tension between Venezuela and Guyana increases, Guyana, which is under pressure from neighboring Brazil and a Caribbean trading bloc, has agreed to join bilateral talks with Venezuela. The longstanding dispute between the two South American countries recently deepened after the discovery of an abundance of oil in Guyana. The Venezuelan government has claimed sovereignty over the Essequibo territory, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana and is situated near significant offshore oil deposits. Belize has issued a release expressing concern over the situation. In it, Belize states that the decisions and plans announced by Venezuela directly challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana, and that Venezuela’s actions violate well-recognized rules of international law. While Belize has held close diplomatic ties with Venezuela through the past PetroCaribe arrangement, we have declared our solidarity with Guyana. Today, Senator Eamon Courtenay reiterated Belize’s position on the matter, when we spoke with him.

Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“We have made our position as a country very clear, and we have also joined the resolutions and statements issued by CARICOM. We are emphatically in support of Guyana, emphatically in support of their territorial integrity and their sovereignty. Insofar as Venezuela is concerned, we believe that this process should be resolved through the International Court of Justice, and we would encourage Venezuela to respect that process.  And in the interim, to abide by the interim measures, the provisional measures that were issued. That is to say that nothing should be done to affect what is happening until the court gives its final decision.”