The Venezuelan president on Friday accused several Venezuelan opposition politicians of joining Georgetown and ExxonMobil and betraying the country by claiming Essequibo, an area in conflict with neighboring Guyana.
“We have entered a new phase of history. After 150 years, the consciousness of justice, equality and independence, of the exercise of sovereignty, has awakened. (…) Look how the ultra-right screams,” said Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro spoke during a political rally in front of the presidential palace in Miraflores, where he signed several decrees to regain Guyana’s Essequiba territory.
“Look at the reaction of imperialism and the right to disrespect the will of the people, the exercise of popular sovereignty. (…) The oligarchic caste of the ultra-right is once again against its own country and this becomes a betrayal of the country,” he said.
Maduro emphasized: “There are the Capriles [Henrique]the Leopoldo López, the Júlios Borges, the ‘Machada’ [Maria Corina Machado, vencedora das primárias da oposição]Guaido [ex-presidente do parlamento]speaking to the people and supporting ExxonMobil and Guyana.”
“I appeal to the people to denounce them in every street and community. Enough about the betrayal,” Maduro said.
The government official questioned recent statements by Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luís Almagro, who on Thursday classified the December 3 referendum convened by Caracas on the Essequibo region as “illegal and illegitimate.”
“The corrupt caste of the oligarchic ultra-right and their minions around the world support ExxonMobil. Luís Almagro, Secretary General, ‘murderous general’ of the OAS, ‘scum’ who provided support [Juan] Guaidó, who supports [Maria Corina] Machado, Júlio Borges and he says we have no right to Guyana Essequiba,” he said.
Maduro also said that the ‘club of failed ex-presidents’ also came out to publish a letter stating that Essequibo belongs to Guyana, led by ‘narco-paramilitary assassin’ Iván Duque. [Colômbia].
Among the signatories of the letter said Sebastián Piñera [Chile]Andres Pastrana [Colômbia]Mario Abdo Benitez [Paraguai]Mauricio Macri [Argentina]Vincent Vos [México]Jorge Tuto Quiroga [Bolívia]between others.
“The Secretary of the United States Government also publicly said that Venezuelans must accept the 1899 Paris Arbitration Award. (…) I will never surrender to the empire, we will never surrender to American imperialism, let no one be fooled by Venezuela,” he said.
Venezuela’s public prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for fourteen people, including four from the opposition Maria Corina Machado, for alleged links to a national and international conspiracy against the country.
The announcement was made by Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab, stating that arrest warrants had been issued for Roberto Abdul, Henry Alviárez, Pedro Urruchurtu and Claudia Macero, who are part of Maria Corina Machado’s team.
Arrest warrants were also issued against opposition politicians Jhon Goicochea, Juan Guaidó, Júlio Borges, David Smolanski, Carlos Vecchio and Leopoldo López, identified as “operators abroad”.
Venezuela’s president signs decrees to regain Essequibo territory
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed six decrees on Friday to regain Essequibo, an area in conflict with neighboring Guyana.
The decrees, which take effect immediately, were signed in Caracas during a political rally that took place in front of the presidential palace in Miraflores.
In the first decree, Nicolás Maduro appoints Army Major General Alexis José Rodríguez Cabello as the sole authority of the new state and orders the opening of an office of the Administrative Service for Identification, Migration and Foreigners (SAIME) this Saturday. IDs for the population of that area.
On the other hand, in the second decree it appoints a National High Commission for the Defense and Restoration of the Territory, which will have as its head the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez.
The third decree formalizes and establishes a new map of Venezuela, which includes the territory, without indicating the area covered by the claim. During the signing, Nicolás Maduro asked Venezuelans to place him “in a sacred corner of the house and light three candles, pray five Our Fathers” and ask the Holy Trinity that the country would restore everything in peace.
On the other hand, it decrees the immediate creation of the divisions “PDVSA Essequibo” and “CVG Essequibo”, of the state-owned companies Petróleos da Venezuela SA and the Venezuelan Corporation of Guyana, so that they can grant licenses for the exploration and prospection of oil, gas and minerals in the territory and the Venezuelan seas.
In the fifth decree, Maduro creates the region’s Integrated Defense Zone, with three full defense areas and 28 development sectors.
The latest decree concerns the environment and biodiversity and prescribes the creation of new national parks, protected natural areas and natural monuments.
Nicolás Maduro asked Venezuelans for five consensuses: preserve a new economic model, condemn international sanctions, consolidate peace and not allow “garrimbas” [barricadas de rua]restore social well-being and restore the territory of Essequibo.
Venezuela and Guyana are in conflict over the oil-rich Essequibo, which covers about 160,000 square kilometers and represents more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and is home to about a fifth of the population, or about 125,000 people.
Source: DN
