Venezuela Appeals to UN Secretary-General to Correct Missteps in Essequibo Dispute

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has reached out to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, seeking a resolution and rectification of what Caracas views as errors related to the Essequibo territory dispute.

Details of President Maduro’s Appeal

In a transmission of his television program Con Maduro +, Maduro explained that he had sent a letter directly to Guterres. He emphasized the need for a rectification regarding actions by the UN’s General Secretariat, which, according to him, have adversely affected Venezuela’s sovereignty. Maduro insists that evidence of mistakes made be acknowledged and that the General Secretariat must act to preempt any escalation of the issue by Guyana and ExxonMobil against Venezuela.

He suggested that Guterres could facilitate a revival of the Geneva Agreement negotiations, firmly maintaining that Venezuela does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in this matter.

The Consultative Referendum on Essequibo

The Venezuelan president expressed concerns about Guyana’s recent move to halt a consultative referendum scheduled for December 3rd. The referendum, decided upon due to Guyana’s actions in an undelineated territory, involves five critical questions that participants will respond to.

Delcy Rodríguez, the Venezuelan Vice President, traveled to The Hague in the Netherlands to advocate for Venezuela’s claim over the contested Essequibo territory. Notably, this visit came in the wake of a November 3rd declaration by the ICJ which stated that Guyana had requested hearings to discuss the impending referendum.

Economic Interests and Territorial Disputes

In contention is Guyana’s awarding of drilling contracts in what Venezuela perceives as disputed waters. Among the beneficiaries are major international oil companies, including ExxonMobil of the United States, TotalEnergies of France, and SISPRO Inc., also of France. Others involved are International Group Investment Inc. based in Nigeria, Liberty Petroleum Corporation of US origin, and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The Maduro administration has reiterated that such undertakings by Georgetown tread on the rights of Venezuela and constitute a direct breach of international law unless mutual agreements are in place with Caracas.

Sputnik News Report

These developments have been comprehensively reported by Sputnik News. Citizens looking to stay informed about the Essequibo issue and other important news can access Sputnik’s coverage on their official website and social media channels.

As this territorial controversy unfolds, the eyes of the international community remain fixed on the actions of the United Nations and the response of involved parties to the call for diplomatic engagement and peaceful resolution.

For more details on this ongoing geopolitical issue and other news, readers can visit Sputnik News at https://sputniknews.lat.