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THE EDITOR: I cannot understand how the Caribbean can remain a zone of peace without justice prevailing in Guyana when, in flagrant violation of the charters of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS), inclusive of the December 1 judgement of the ICJ (International Court of Justice), Venezuela has quite unlawfully used its sham internal consultative referendum to "seize" control of the Essequibo region and establish a litany of administrative measures with designated personnel, inclusive of conducting mining, tourism and having given oil companies operating in the Stabroek Bloc, the lifeline of Guyana, three months to quit these areas, all in complete and vulgar violation of international law as laid down by the ICJ (instantaneous international law) between the parties.
How can there be peace in the region when Guyana has a more militant incarnation/version of the perennial Venezuelan Sword of Damocles, now more visible within its Essequibo county and extending to its appurtenant territorial sea, its EEZ and its natural prolongation of the continental shelf up to and beyond 200 miles?
The St Vincent meeting should have agreed to persuade Venezuela to undertake internal discussions with a view to restoring the status quo ante-December 3, when the ICJ ruled that Venezuela has no right to enter the Essequibo and to report at the next meeting in Brazil.
Venezuela, a party to the charter of the ICJ
ipso facto of being a founding member of the UN and having participated in the proceedings of the ICJ from the beginning up to November 15, cannot abdicate and indicate that it does not respect nor adhere to the recent ruling of the ICJ.
This is international law from which Venezuela cannot derogate and the Argyle Declaration allowed and endorsed Venezuelan lawlessness and the circumventing of the principles of estoppel and recognition.
Legally it cannot have its cake, eat it and abdicate the ruling of the ICJ. This is tantamount to pervasive lawlessness being endorsed by Caricom and CELAC.
Once Venezuela’s now illegal claim to Essequibo and the virtual annexation and administration is in place, it constitutes a real threat to the peace in the region because Guyana will not lie down and allow the Guardia Nacional to walk over it.
How and when will this threat be removed or is it a part of the new status quo, the interruption of which will be the cause for the violation of the zone of peace?
This declaration is heavily weighted in favour of Venezuela as you can expect that from the previous diplomatic ambivalence demonstrated by Mia Mottley, Dr Rowley, Ralph Gonsalves and Roosevelt Skerrit.
Caricom is happy with the new status quo created by the virtual Venezuelan annexation of the Essequibo.
Only Guyana can now violate the zone of peace or remain cut off from three-quarters of its territorial sovereignty and political independence should it attempt to resist this virtual invasion and annexation of its territory in exercise of its inviolable right to self-defence.
This zone of peace concept that is central and pivotal to the Argyle Declaration and is taking precedence over the mandatory and binding provisions of the UN and OAS charters and ICJ judgement is a fig leaf behind which some Caricom members are hiding their true positioning on the Guyana-Venezuela controversy.

STEPHEN KANGAL

Caroni
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