“Our country will remain a peaceful place” – President Ali tells Kaikan residents

Engaging residents of communities near the Venezuelan border on Thursday, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali affirmed that Guyana will remain a country of peace.

“Everything we do will be to ensure that peacefully, our neighbour will understand that any reckless behaviour would be followed by accountability from the international community,” President Ali told residents of Kaikan Village in Region Seven.

The head of state called on the Venezuelan leaders to “subject themselves” to the right processes that can result in the resolution of the longstanding border controversy.

“We urge our neighbours to avoid any reckless behaviour, to subject themselves to the ICJ and the international rule of law, and let us continue to coexist peacefully.”

The president urged the residents to remain alert and to stay in constant communication with local authorities about any unusual activity that may happen in the region.

“We want you also to be our eyes and ears on the ground because you have a responsibility also to work with our men and women in uniform, to help them, to support them,” he highlighted.

Guyana is currently seeking the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) confirmation of the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundaries between the two countries.

Further, the country is also awaiting the ruling of the ICJ on its request for provisional measures that would block questions in Venezuela’s referendum, scheduled for December 3, particularly questions three and five, which have been identified as the most detrimental.

President Ali said this move was not to infringe on the independence of Venezuela in its political endeavours, but to ensure Guyana is not a topic in these matters.

“We didn’t go to stop the referendum. Every country is entitled to do a referendum. What we went for, is to seek precautionary orders in relation to some of the questions. Questions that would necessitate action that would affect the peace and tranquillity of Essequibo and our borders,” the president explained.