They will not use force: Venezuela and Guyana agreed to peacefully resolve the conflict

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro agreed to a peaceful solution to the conflict/Collage 24 Channel

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Guyanese leader Muhammad Irfaan Ali have agreed to peacefully resolve the Essequibo dispute. The leaders of the countries assured that they would not use force, but would continue negotiations.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro reported this on the X network. He also published a video of how the meeting with the leader of Guyana went. Channel 24.

How Venezuela and Guyana will resolve the conflict

The leaders of Venezuela and Guyana at a meeting on December 14 agreed not to use force, but to resolve territorial disputes over Essequibo through peaceful negotiations. By the way, the meeting of the presidents took place in the capital of the Caribbean state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kingstown. It should be noted that after the negotiations, the presidents also shook hands, and other participants applauded this decision. The meeting was mediated by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries and the Caribbean Community.

Although the positions of Venezuela and Guyana differ on the territory of Essequibo, however, after negotiations, a joint declaration was published online. It said Venezuela and Guyana agreed not to threaten or use force against each other “under any circumstances and to refrain from escalating any conflict.” The declaration states that Maduro and Irfaan Ali will hold a new meeting in Brazil in the coming months.

In addition, a special territorial commission will be created to resolve the conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. It will include the foreign ministers, as well as technical staff from Venezuela and Guyana. In 3 months, the commission should publish the first report on the Essequibo territory.

Why there was an escalation between Venezuela and Guyana

• The dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the disputed Essequibo territories has been ongoing since 1895. However, the situation became especially aggravated in 2015, and in October 2023, Venezuela began to take steps to annex this region.
• So, on December 5, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the start of a series of measures that may precede the annexation of the region of neighboring Guyana – Essequibo. A few days earlier, on December 3, a corresponding referendum allegedly took place there. Already on December 9, Venezuela published a new “map” and also appointed a “leader” of Essequibo.
• Oil became the reason for the escalation of the conflict, because one fifth of the total oil deposits in the world. According to open data, considerable oil deposits were also discovered in the disputed territory of Essequibo.