Guyana denounced the overflight of Venezuelan military planes over the disputed area between the two countries

The government of Guyana condemned what it considers “violation of its airspace” by Venezuelan military planes, which flew over the police and military premises of the South American country in an area claimed by both countries.

Officials from Guyana’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday the launch of the investigation into an incident that occurred Tuesday afternoon in Eteringbang, a mining area near the border with Venezuela where there is a military airfield.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana would like to inform that on Tuesday March 2, 2021 at around 1.20 p.m., two Sukhoi SU 30 fighter jets of the Venezuelan army flew over the community of Eteringbang and the runway of landing at a very low altitude of 1500 feet. Fighters circled the site once before continuing east. “the Guyanese government said in a statement.

The police report indicates that two Venezuelan fighter jets entered the airspace of the claimed area between Guyana and Venezuela, when they flew over the Eteringbang police station and the Guyana Defense Forces base ( GDF) before returning to your country’s territory.

“The Government of Guyana condemns this latest act of aggression by the Venezuelan armed forces as a violation of the sovereignty of Guyana”, adds the statement.

The government would like to recall that this latest hostility closely follows: (i) a decree recently issued by President Nicolás Maduro which aims to establish a maritime territory for Venezuela which also encompasses the territorial waters of Guyana, the EEZ and the plateau continental. as its land territory west of the Essequibo River; (ii) the illegal interception and detention of two Guyanese fishing vessels and their crews in Guyanese waters; and (iii) the resolutions of the Special Commission for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba and Territorial Sovereignty which recommended the convening of a session of this Special Commission for Essequibo with the help of the Venezuelan armed forces ”, underlines the text.

AFTER VLADIMIR’S SPONSOR WARNING

The flight over the airspace of the claimed area between Venezuela and Guyana took place a few days after the Minister of Defense of the regime of Nicolás Maduro, Vladimir Padrino, warned Guyana that it will defend the rights of Caracas over the Essequibo region at all levels.

Padrino’s words would contrast with the support for which he pledged to resolve the conflict under the Geneva Accord.

“We are convinced that Essequibo is ours, we will defend it at all levels”he said in an interview broadcast last Sunday on public television VTV, Godfather.

According to the official, “inside” the armed forces, there is “cohesion” on the position of the Nicolás Maduro regime, which firmly defends Venezuela’s rights over the Essequibo.

Venezuela and Guyana have a long border dispute over Essequibo, a territory of nearly 160,000 square kilometers which represents almost two-thirds of the second country.

BOTH COUNTRIES SIGNED THE GENEVA AGREEMENT IN 1966

In 1966, the two countries signed the Geneva Accord, an instrument by which they pledged to seek an amicable solution to the dispute.

The territorial dispute was negotiated by the United Nations (UN) until the end of January 2018, when the organization ended its action in the dispute.

This decision prompted Guyana to seize the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – which declared itself competent to resolve the dispute – since the UN then recommended that the case be brought before this body.

Venezuela has repeatedly defended that it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ, a position it reiterated two days ago insisting that it only accepts an agreed solution, within the framework of the Geneva Accord, as a formula for settling the dispute.

The overflight took place after the ships Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf returned to port with the 12 Guyanese fishermen arrested on January 21 by Venezuela, accused by the government of that country of fishing in their waters under jurisdiction, which resulted in new friction between the two countries. .

(With information from EFE)

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