The Argyle Agreement was blatantly broken, according to Guyana, which denounced Venezuela’s efforts to elect a governor of Essequibo County. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Nicolás Maduro’s announcement on January 7, 2025, that “the people of Guayana Esequiba” would elect a “Governor of the Guayana Esequiba” is a clear breach of the terms of the Argyle Agreement signed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on December 14, 2023.
The statement, noted, “This unilateral action disregards the spirit of the Argyle Agreement, undermines the agreed framework for dialogue and peaceful coexistence, and significantly escalates tensions between our nations.”
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Adding, “The people of Guyana’s Essequibo region are Guyanese nationals who live in Guyana’s sovereign territory. It would be a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law, enshrined in the UN Charter, for Venezuela to attempt to conduct an election in Guyanese territory involving the participation of Guyanese nationals.”
It further noted that Maduro, who is scheduled to take the oath of office tomorrow after contentious elections, is also in violation of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling.
“The ICJ, in its Order dated December 1, 2023, directed that Venezuela shall refrain from any actions that would modify the situation prevailing in the disputed territory, which is currently administered by Guyana. The Order also emphasized that both States must avoid actions that might aggravate or extend the dispute or make it more difficult to resolve.”
The ministry noted in its statement, “President Maduro’s statement, coupled with any actions to integrate the Essequibo region into Venezuela’s administrative framework, including by calling for an election `by the people of Guayana Esequiba’ of a governor of `Guayana Esequiba,’ represents a blatant disregard for this binding Order.”
The statement went on to say that such acts not only endanger the legal system but also weaken the ICJ’s standing as the main UN court.
According to the statement, Guyana maintains the right to request further interim remedies from the Court should Venezuela move to hold its alleged “election” on Guyanese soil or with Guyanese citizens.
Guyana encouraged Venezuela to recommit to the norms of international law and peaceful dispute settlement that it promised to at Argyle and to immediately stop any activities that violate the ICJ Order and the Argyle Agreement.
Guyana asserts that while it is still willing to participate in fruitful discussions within the established parameters, it cannot support or tolerate unilateral acts that jeopardize its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The statement noted, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana requests assurances from the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that it will respect its international obligations and refrain from further actions that undermine the peaceful resolution of this longstanding controversy. In conformity with international law.”
President Irfaan Ali and President Maduro signed the Argyle Agreement in St. Vincent in 2023 during Venezuela’s attack against Guyana. Guyana and Venezuela made a clear commitment to not escalate any conflict or disagreement resulting from their territorial dispute when it was sealed in front of regional and international interlocutors. This means holding off on taking any steps that would escalate tensions or change the present situation in Essequibo until it is resolved in conformity with international law.
Those who opposed the signing of the Argyle Agreement had questioned its logic since the actions outlined had not been carried out.
Caracas has also taken a number of dangerous actions since the signing, such as constructing a bridge to Ankoko Island, which Venezuela military occupied in 1966, which is half of Guyana. Last month, the bridge was inaugurated by Venezuela’s ministers of transportation and defense.
Maduro also issued “the Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba” on April 3, 2024.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank, released satellite photos of a military buildup on the Venezuelan side of the border on February 9, 2024. The group claimed that the images strongly supported its theory of “compellence,” according to which Caracas was attempting to extract concessions from Guyana, including potential cooperative exploration of natural resources.
After a Venezuelan referendum on the annexation of Guyana’s Essequibo was held on December 3, 2023, tensions between the two nations reached a breaking point. The resulting conflict prompted the high-level Argyle summit to be held in St. Vincent on December 14th, which resulted in a proclamation that both nations would not resort to using force or threatening to use force to settle disputes between them.
President Ali made it “clear” to his Venezuelan counterpart at the unprecedented in-person meeting with Maduro that no action, including cooperative projects, would be permitted in the 160,000-square-kilometer Essequibo region without this nation’s consent.
After months of tension over Caracas’ staging of a referendum on Essequibo and its subsequent determination to annex the county that makes up five-eighths of this country, Georgetown saw a significant breakthrough when both sides agreed not to use force against one another under any circumstances.
“Agreed that Guyana and Venezuela, directly or indirectly, will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances, including those consequential to any existing controversies between the two States.” This was one of the 11 points in the joint declaration that the presidents had agreed upon after a series of discussions in St. Vincent.
In front of high-level mediators such as host Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Brazilian President Celso Amorim’s special envoy, and Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, the two leaders also decided that any disputes between their countries would be resolved in line with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of February 17, 1966.
This nation said in the Joint Declaration that it is dedicated to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) process and procedures for resolving the boundary dispute. Venezuela’s claim of not agreeing with the ICJ and not acknowledging its authority over the boundary dispute was also mentioned.
The two presidents also decided to keep talking about any other unresolved issues that are important to both of them, in front of other invited guests, such as Colombia’s foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva Durán.
At the Argyle Airport, it was also decided that neither State would escalate any dispute or confrontation resulting from any issue between them, either verbally or physically.
Its declaration notes, “The two States will cooperate to avoid incidents on the ground conducive to tension between them. In the event of such an incident, the two States will immediately communicate with one another, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), and the President of Brazil to contain, reverse, and prevent its recurrence.”
With the continued consent of Presidents Ali and Maduro, both countries also decided that Prime Minister Gonsalves, the pro-temporary president of CELAC; Prime Minister Skerrit, the current chairman of CARICOM; and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil would continue to be involved in the matter as interlocutors, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would continue to serve as an observer.
