‘We will not allow our territory to be violated nor development stymied’ – President Ali asserts

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed that his administration will not allow Guyana’s territory to be violated nor the development of the country stymied by Venezuela’s desperate threat.

President Ali made the assertion following an unwarranted announcement by Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, who outlined his government’s intentions to enforce the outcome of the referendum held on December 3, 2023.

During a live broadcast late Tuesday evening, President Ali said the measures are in blatant disregard of the order given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1, 2023, and Guyana views this as an impending threat to its territorial integrity.

“I have spoken to the Secretary General of the United Nations and several leaders alerting them of these dangerous developments and the desperate actions of President Maduro that fly in the face of international law and constitute a grave threat to international peace and security,” the head of state noted.

President Ali explained that the referendum has always been deemed as a direct threat to Guyana’s sovereignty, and political independence since its announcement.

In fact, it violates fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the United Nations (UN) and Organisation of American States (OAS) Charter, the Guyanese leader highlighted.

“We have engaged CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, and many of our bilateral partners including the United States of America, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and France. The Guyana Defence Force is on full alert and has engaged its military counterparts including the US Southern Command,” President Ali added.

Based on the announcement, Venezuela has shown that it rejects international law, fundamental justice, morality, and the preservation of international peace and security.

President Ali remains adamant that whatever Venezuela chooses to do would not deter Guyana from proceeding with the case in the ICJ, or stop the World Court from ultimately issuing its final judgment.

“We will not allow our territory to be violated nor the development of our country to be stymied by this desperate threat,” he stated.