President says Guyana has US support in Venezuela border controversy

His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, says Guyana has the support of the United States in the border controversy with Venezuela. 

The President said that this is one of the issues discussed with the US Secretary of State, Mr. Michael Pompeo during his visit here.

“I conveyed my appreciation to the United States, and the Secretary reiterated his support and that of the United States for Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and is calling for a timely resolution to the controversy with Venezuela and respect for the 1899 Arbitral Award,” President Ali said. 

Venezuela has said that it does not recognise the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 and has claimed about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. The matter is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

Guyana, through the ICJ, is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgment from the Court that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid and binding, and that Guyana’s Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.