Venezuela Says Guyana Expansion of Legal Sea Limits “Irregular”
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said Monday a new request by neighboring Guyana to the United Nations to expand its continental shelf outer sea limits from 200 to 350 miles constitutes an “irregular situation” and chastised the neighboring country for not informing Venezuela directly.
By Carlos Camacho
Latin American Herald Tribune
Caracas,
Monday, September 26,2011
Source - Latin American Herald Tribune
CARACAS -- Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said Monday a new request by neighboring Guyana to the United Nations to expand its continental shelf outer sea limits from 200 to 350 miles constitutes an “irregular situation” and chastised the neighboring country for not informing Venezuela directly.
Caracas said “it was taking the necessary actions to preserve the right that assists it with respect to the projection of its seafront.” The presentation “does not prejudge” the limits between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry stated, while adding latter that Venezuela “manifests its concern upon realizing that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana did not inform it before hand of this action, in spite of existing fluid mechanisms of communication”.
Venezuela said it was notified on September 7th of Guyana’s new presentation by the United Nations.
The dispute touches on a highly nationalistic issue for Venezuelans as well as Guyanese over a mineral -- and oil -- rich area between the countries that dates back to the 1800s. The land, called the Guyana Essequibo, covers 53,000 square miles between the Essequibo River in Guyana, formerly British Guiana, and the present border with eastern Venezuela -- about the size of Florida or New York.
Venezuela maps -- including the country's car license plates -- show the disputed territory of Essequibo as part of Venezuela, as a Zone of Reclamation.
The border friction with Guyana dates to an era when the United States and its Monroe Doctrine sought to shut out European powers from any influence in Latin America.
When British Guiana, then a colony, and independent Venezuela quarreled over their common frontier, the United States demanded that Britain accept international arbitration. Five international jurists -- two Britons, two U.S. citizens and a Russian -- handed down their decision in Paris on Oct. 3, 1899. Guyana was awarded the Essequibo area that makes up two-thirds of Guyana and both sides accepted the ruling as a ``fair and final settlement.''
However, when Guyana gained independence from Britain in the 1960s, Venezuela again began to reassert its ownership over the area. At one point , Venezuela even says that it has uncovered a lawyer's diary from the 1899 arbitration hinting that the Russian jurist helped defraud Venezuela of the area south of the mouth of the Orinoco River that brims with uranium, gold, diamond, timber and oil.
Guyana was expanding its continental shelf 150 nautical miles under the new rules of the Law of the Sea from the former standard of a 200 nautical mile outer limit of existing exclusive economic zones.
Guyana's request to extend its continental shelf by 150 miles was not the only one submitted to the UN Commission that can affect Venezuela's maritime domain in the eastern part of the country. Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados have also made submissions.
Barbados made its submission in 2008 and the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CSLS) issued the recommendations about what should be the coordinates of the outer limits of Barbados continental shelf in April 2010 .
Venezuela is not a member of the UN CLCS because it did not sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Following is the full text issued by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela received September 7, 2011, the official notification that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana had lodged a presentation on the outer limits of the continental shelf of Guyana, within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which this country belongs to, with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)
The Bolivarian Government, by acting responsibly, has proceeded to evaluate this irregular situation in order to respond correctly in the light of international law and it is taking the necessary actions to preserve its right on the projection of its seafront.
The Government of Venezuela reiterates that this presentation does not prejudice matters relating to the establishment of maritime borders between Venezuela and Guyana, and is concerned since it ascertains that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana did not previously inform of this action, although fluid communication mechanisms, like the Good Officer of the Office of the UN Secretary General or the permanent bilateral dialogue the authorities of both countries keep at the highest level, exist.
The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has developed a foreign policy based on defending the sacred interests of the country since the first day, and, at the same time, it has strengthened the friendship and solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, with special emphasis on the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, a country with which there is a territorial dispute inherited from the old colonialism.
President Hugo Chavez has implemented a correct policy of peace, sovereignty and respect for international law towards Guyana that contrasts with the old warmongering and threatening attitudes of the Venezuelan bourgeoisie, whose only aim was to harass the progressive governments of this fraternal Republic according to the intentions of imperial powers.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela condemns the campaign of intrigues launched by the Venezuelan bourgeoisie from its propaganda media and political parties who seek to manipulate the Venezuelan people by misinforming about this sensitive issue. This bourgeoisie subjected to the orders of Washington and funded with money from the empire can not claim to stand as patriots and defenders of the Venezuelan sovereignty.
The government of President Hugo Chávez, expresses its utmost willingness to build constructive and respectful relations with the Republic of Guyana and ratifies that it will continue to defend the vital interests of the country in the firmest way through the internationally established dialogue mechanisms. In this regard, it reaffirms its commitment to the process of the Good Officer of the Office of the UN Secretary General.
Caracas, September 26, 2011
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said Monday a new request by neighboring Guyana to the United Nations to expand its continental shelf outer sea limits from 200 to 350 miles constitutes an “irregular situation” and chastised the neighboring country for not informing Venezuela directly.
By Carlos Camacho
Latin American Herald Tribune
Caracas,
Monday, September 26,2011
Source - Latin American Herald Tribune
CARACAS -- Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said Monday a new request by neighboring Guyana to the United Nations to expand its continental shelf outer sea limits from 200 to 350 miles constitutes an “irregular situation” and chastised the neighboring country for not informing Venezuela directly.Caracas said “it was taking the necessary actions to preserve the right that assists it with respect to the projection of its seafront.” The presentation “does not prejudge” the limits between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry stated, while adding latter that Venezuela “manifests its concern upon realizing that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana did not inform it before hand of this action, in spite of existing fluid mechanisms of communication”.
Venezuela said it was notified on September 7th of Guyana’s new presentation by the United Nations.
The dispute touches on a highly nationalistic issue for Venezuelans as well as Guyanese over a mineral -- and oil -- rich area between the countries that dates back to the 1800s. The land, called the Guyana Essequibo, covers 53,000 square miles between the Essequibo River in Guyana, formerly British Guiana, and the present border with eastern Venezuela -- about the size of Florida or New York.
Venezuela maps -- including the country's car license plates -- show the disputed territory of Essequibo as part of Venezuela, as a Zone of Reclamation.
The border friction with Guyana dates to an era when the United States and its Monroe Doctrine sought to shut out European powers from any influence in Latin America.When British Guiana, then a colony, and independent Venezuela quarreled over their common frontier, the United States demanded that Britain accept international arbitration. Five international jurists -- two Britons, two U.S. citizens and a Russian -- handed down their decision in Paris on Oct. 3, 1899. Guyana was awarded the Essequibo area that makes up two-thirds of Guyana and both sides accepted the ruling as a ``fair and final settlement.''
However, when Guyana gained independence from Britain in the 1960s, Venezuela again began to reassert its ownership over the area. At one point , Venezuela even says that it has uncovered a lawyer's diary from the 1899 arbitration hinting that the Russian jurist helped defraud Venezuela of the area south of the mouth of the Orinoco River that brims with uranium, gold, diamond, timber and oil.
Guyana was expanding its continental shelf 150 nautical miles under the new rules of the Law of the Sea from the former standard of a 200 nautical mile outer limit of existing exclusive economic zones.
Guyana's request to extend its continental shelf by 150 miles was not the only one submitted to the UN Commission that can affect Venezuela's maritime domain in the eastern part of the country. Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados have also made submissions.
Barbados made its submission in 2008 and the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CSLS) issued the recommendations about what should be the coordinates of the outer limits of Barbados continental shelf in April 2010 .
Venezuela is not a member of the UN CLCS because it did not sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Following is the full text issued by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela received September 7, 2011, the official notification that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana had lodged a presentation on the outer limits of the continental shelf of Guyana, within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which this country belongs to, with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS)
The Bolivarian Government, by acting responsibly, has proceeded to evaluate this irregular situation in order to respond correctly in the light of international law and it is taking the necessary actions to preserve its right on the projection of its seafront.
The Government of Venezuela reiterates that this presentation does not prejudice matters relating to the establishment of maritime borders between Venezuela and Guyana, and is concerned since it ascertains that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana did not previously inform of this action, although fluid communication mechanisms, like the Good Officer of the Office of the UN Secretary General or the permanent bilateral dialogue the authorities of both countries keep at the highest level, exist.
The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has developed a foreign policy based on defending the sacred interests of the country since the first day, and, at the same time, it has strengthened the friendship and solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, with special emphasis on the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, a country with which there is a territorial dispute inherited from the old colonialism.
President Hugo Chavez has implemented a correct policy of peace, sovereignty and respect for international law towards Guyana that contrasts with the old warmongering and threatening attitudes of the Venezuelan bourgeoisie, whose only aim was to harass the progressive governments of this fraternal Republic according to the intentions of imperial powers.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela condemns the campaign of intrigues launched by the Venezuelan bourgeoisie from its propaganda media and political parties who seek to manipulate the Venezuelan people by misinforming about this sensitive issue. This bourgeoisie subjected to the orders of Washington and funded with money from the empire can not claim to stand as patriots and defenders of the Venezuelan sovereignty.
The government of President Hugo Chávez, expresses its utmost willingness to build constructive and respectful relations with the Republic of Guyana and ratifies that it will continue to defend the vital interests of the country in the firmest way through the internationally established dialogue mechanisms. In this regard, it reaffirms its commitment to the process of the Good Officer of the Office of the UN Secretary General.
Caracas, September 26, 2011
Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett