Caracas, November 16, 2023 (Mincomunas Press) – This Thursday, there was a discussion on the “Significance of the Essequibo for the social movements” at the Gabriela Mistral National Bolivarian Educational Unit at the Socialist Communal El Panal 2021, in 23 de Enero parish in Caracas.
Carlos Ron, president of the Simon Bolivar Institute for Solidarity and Peace among Peoples, led the discussion in the company of the Vice-Minister of Social Movements, Fernando Rodriguez; the participation of the spokespersons of the Patriotic Force Movement Alexis Vive, as well as community leaders who live in the territory.
During the meeting, the president of the Simon Bolivar Institute summarized the historical background generated during the last 200 years and highlighted the significance for the people to know their territorial rights over the Essequibo.
According to historical documentation, the national territory constitutes the geographic space that corresponded to the General Captaincy of Venezuela before the political transformation initiated on April 19, 1810. In 1899, the powers of the time tried to dispossess the country of Essequiba Guyana through the fraudulent Paris Arbitral Award. After years of claims by Venezuela, the controversy was taken to the United Nations. In February 1966, the parties signed the Geneva Agreement, an instrument which, on the one hand, shows the nullity of the Paris Award and, on the other hand, establishes the mechanisms to be followed for a practical, satisfactory, and mutually agreed solution between the parties.
Ron mentioned that in 2015, the US oil company ExxonMobil discovered large oil deposits in the Esequibo territory, and from that moment, talks with Guyana began, and tension with Venezuela began over the issue of concessions.
He commented that Venezuela will continue to seek a way to resolve the dispute in a peaceful and satisfactory manner. “We want the Guyanese to sit down with us to solve this through negotiations.”
The people defend the Essequibo.
Clebis Miranda, spokeswoman of the Altos de Cutira Commune, emphasized that Venezuelans are willing to defend the territory of the Essequibo through the vote and in democracy. “If we have the support of the people, the world will not oppose what the people say. We will show everyone that this territory is a state that will be called Guayana.”
For the community leader, Venezuela has always had heroes who have defended the homeland. “Since Bolivar, we have been a threat to the world, we have been labeled as ignorant, but it turns out that we have always had intelligent men and women who achieved the independence of almost an entire continent”.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Mozo, community spokesman, called to all those present to go out and participate in the elections on December 3. “We have to go out to defend our Essequibo Guyana and dismantle the opinion matrix they are orchestrating to steal our Essequibo territory,” he concluded.
