With mediation from Brazil, Venezuela-Guyana dialogue advances

After a meeting that lasted seven hours this Thursday (25th) and had Brazil as mediator, the foreign ministers of Venezuela, Carl Barrington Greenidge, and Guyana, Yván Gil Pinto, advanced in the dialogue on Essequibo. The meeting was held at Palácio Itamaraty, in Brasília, and included observers from the UN (United Nations) and CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States).

According to the two foreign ministers, the countries committed to seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict, without resorting to the Armed Forces. The Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira – who mediated the meeting – also declared himself optimistic with the progress of the negotiations.

“We emphasize to the delegation of Venezuelans that Guyana remains committed to resolving the controversy that Venezuela has with the 1988 decision of the arbitration court in a very peaceful way,” said Yván Gil. “We reiterate our support and commitment to the UN Charter, which includes respect for international law and the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which is within international law”, added the Foreign Minister of Guyana.

The nod was praised by the Venezuelan minister, who spoke of “alternative searches” to “reach a mutually acceptable solution” and “boost cooperation and integration relations between Guyana and Venezuela”. Carl praised the results of the meeting: “We feel really satisfied and we look forward to future discussions with great expectations. There is still a lot of matter to discuss.”

According to Mauro Vieira, Brazil was invited to remain at the forefront of negotiations between Venezuela and Guyana. The two parties agreed to hold, if necessary, a new meeting, possibly in Brazil. “They committed themselves, recognizing the differences between sides, to continue dialoguing based on the parameters established by the Argyle declaration”, said the Brazilian minister.

“I reaffirm that our region has the political will and all the necessary instruments to advance the common principle of fair social development in a peaceful and supportive environment. When faced with wars in different parts of the world, we learned to value our Latin American and Caribbean culture of peace even more”, added Vieira.

Brazil may once again influence the debate at the Community of Caribbean States (Caricom) summit, scheduled for February 28. In addition to 20 Caribbean countries (15 members and five associated with the bloc), the summit will have the participation of Brazil as a guest – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed his presence.

Part of Guyanese territory, Essequibo, rich in oil and other natural resources, is claimed by the Venezuelan government. In 2023, a popular consultation approved, with 96% support, the proposal to annex the region to Venezuela as a new state, granting Venezuelan nationality to its 125,000 inhabitants.