Country locked in bitter dispute over oil-rich land 'refuses to bow' to neighbour

The small South American nation of Guyana said it refuses to bow to its larger neighbour Venezuela before the two countries met in the latest chapter of a bitter dispute over an oil and mineral-rich territory claimed by both.

Who controls Essequibo, a vast border region located along Venezuela’s border, “is not up for discussion, negotiation or deliberation”, Guyana’s government said.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali echoed those comments during a press conference he held during a break in talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent.

“All of this belongs to Guyana,” Mr Ali said, pointing to a thick leather bracelet on his right wrist featuring the outline of Guyana.

“No narrative propaganda (or) decree can change this. This is Guyana.”

Mr Ali noted that while both parties are committed to keeping peace in the region, Guyana “is not the aggressor”.

“Guyana is not seeking war, but Guyana reserves the right to work with all of our partners to ensure the defence of our country,” he said.

Mr Maduro did not speak to reporters during the break.

He had said ahead of the meeting that “we will make the most of it so that our Latin America and the Caribbean remains a zone of peace”.

The two presidents clasped hands before their talks as leaders around them clapped.

Tension over Essequibo has raised worries about a military conflict even though many believe that unlikely.

The dispute over Essequibo escalated when Venezuela reported that its citizens had voted in a December 3 referendum to claim two-thirds of their smaller neighbour.

Mr Ali and Mr Maduro first met individually on Thursday with prime ministers and other officials from the region who had pushed for the meeting at the Argyle International Airport on St Vincent.

Guyana’s government has said that it is awaiting a ruling from the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands and said in its statement on Thursday that regional leaders “concurred with Guyana’s position”.

Leaders were meeting behind closed doors on Thursday and could not be immediately reached for comment.

But ahead of the meeting, Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, said that “to use a cricket metaphor, this is not a one-day cricket match”.

“The fact that they will be talking is very important on friendly, neutral grounds like St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said

Venezuela’s president has ordered state-owned companies to explore and exploit the oil, gas and mines in Essequibo.

And both sides have put their militaries on alert.

It was unclear if Thursday’s meetings would lead to any agreements or ease the border controversy.

Venezuela insists the Essequibo region was part of its territory during the Spanish colonial period, and argues the 1966 Geneva Agreement between their country, Britain and Guyana, the former colony of British Guiana, nullified the border drawn in 1899 by international arbitrators.

Mr Ali rejected what he said was Mr Maduro’s description of “meddling of the United States Southern Command, which has begun operations in the disputed territory”.

The US Southern Command conducted flight operations within Guyana in recent days.

“Any allegation that a military operation aimed at Venezuela exists in any part of Guyanese territory is false, misleading and provocative,” Mr Ali said in a letter to Mr Gonsalves ahead of the meeting.

A letter from Mr Maduro to Mr Gonsalves repeated Venezuela’s contention that the border drawn in 1899 was “the result of a scheme” between the US and the UK.

It also said the dispute “must be amicably resolved in a matter acceptable to both parties”.