The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), headed by Luis Almagro, described this Thursday as “illegal and illegitimate” the referendum on the Essequibo region called by the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.
Almagro’s office denounced in a statement the “aggressive stance” of the Venezuelan government towards Guyana and said that the growing tensions between both countries are a “concern for regional security” and threaten “stability and territorial sovereignty” on the continent.
The referendum, in which the majority of citizens who participated voted in favor of the annexation of Essequibo to Venezuela, represents “once again” an “undemocratic” use of “democratic processes” by Maduro, the statement said.
“The recent actions taken by the Venezuelan regime not only endanger the development and stability of Guyana, but also represent a broader risk to the security of Latin America and the Caribbean,” denounced the leadership of the OAS.
In turn, Almagro asked the organization’s Permanent Council to convene a special meeting to “discuss possible measures to mitigate” tensions between both South American countries.
The Venezuelan government, which submitted a formal request to leave the OAS in 2017, has no representation in the organization.
Venezuela held a consultative referendum on Sunday promoted by the Government of Nicolás Maduro and which received the support of voters on the status of the Essequibo region, 160 thousand square kilometers of jungle rich in natural resources.
On Wednesday, the president of Venezuela ordered the creation of a state in Guyana and the annexation of the territory of Essequibo, increasing tensions in the region.
In 2015, ExxonMobil discovered several oil deposits in Essequibo.
Meanwhile, Guyana has already authorized eight foreign oil companies to explore oil deposits in waters claimed by Venezuela.
The border conflicts began with the Paris arbitration decision of October 3, 1899, which attributed sovereignty over the territory to the then British Guiana. The decision has been challenged by Venezuela at the UN since 1962.
Source: TSF
