- 10/31/2023
The Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez denounced Thursday new provocations by Guyana after the request of that country to the International Court of Justice. teleSUR
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00:00 We go live to Venezuela.
00:07 Vice President Delce Rodriguez offers an international press conference on the referendum of next
00:12 December 3rd over the Ezequiel territory and to condemn Guyana's pretension on the matter.
00:21 They have attended this conference, summoned by President Maduro.
00:32 Vice President of Sovereignty and Minister of Popular Defense is with us.
00:41 Also Historian Samuel, Ambassador of Venezuela.
00:49 Greetings to all foreign ministers and the rest of officials.
01:00 We have considered very important to update the country of something relevant that occurred
01:12 yesterday in this chain of provocations by Guyana's government.
01:26 What happened yesterday was a demonstration, was a proof of despair.
01:33 It has no legal, no legality whatsoever.
01:44 As President Maduro informed in his program yesterday, Guyana pleaded the International
01:58 Court of Justice provisional measures against the referendum on December 3rd.
02:11 Specifically, the Guyanese government referred to the questions of Ezequiel, which we are
02:21 going to review.
02:25 This is a very outrageous plea because the Guyanese government aims at interfering Venezuela's
02:47 sovereignty and even more asking the ICJ to eradicate the Constitution of Venezuela.
03:04 This is barbarism to pretend to intend substituting the constitutional law of Venezuela, violating
03:20 the United Nations Charter and the international order.
03:25 In this specific case, I'm going to explain all articles from our Constitution.
03:33 Article one, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is free and independent regardless its values
03:50 of justice and freedom.
03:54 So, independence, freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and national determination
04:11 are very valuable for us.
04:27 Now let's see article 71.
04:32 The National Assembly approved unanimously to summon, to call the Venezuelan people for
04:42 consulting this transcendental measure.
04:59 We are here talking about the political rights of Venezuelans of consulting, of participating
05:10 in our democracy, in our Constitution.
05:15 The deal of political rights comprises a right of consulting referendum, which is in article
05:29 71.
05:32 You know that the issue of Ezequiel region is very crucial for us.
05:48 So all bodies of our governments are going to participate and so the people.
06:02 This historic controversy has to be solved out.
06:11 The Ezequiel territory is undoubtedly of Venezuela.
06:22 I'm going to explain to you the plundering of this territory that is ours.
06:35 We went to the court and the United Kingdom never has any, did not own this territory.
06:52 So Venezuela is calling for defending their sacred rights on a referendum.
07:05 Another article, very important to point out, any disposition of this charter, well, this,
07:31 well, Guyanese government has made a very outrageous, a very verbatim appealing because
07:56 they violate international legality that is backed by the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
08:13 An international organization that opposing Venezuelan regulations don't have any legality.
08:33 So on December 3rd, all Venezuelans are going to participate on this referendum.
08:42 What happened yesterday, the request of stopping this referendum is completely insane, it's
08:58 completely absurd.
09:09 So this request violates the principles of self-determination of the peoples.
09:20 So we have defended with our lives our constitution and our right to the Ezequiel territory.
09:39 So, Guyanese government is willing to end the order in Venezuela.
09:49 I think that we can date back to history what have been Venezuelan resistance in the face
10:06 of the US blockade and the West.
10:14 I think the Venezuelan people have shown their courage.
10:22 So what they are willing to defend, what they are willing to do to defend their constitution,
10:29 their legal order, I think there are lots of examples to show, to display what we are
10:43 capable of.
10:48 So don't urge the Venezuelan people, don't provoke the Venezuelans, because we are a
10:59 peace nation.
11:05 We stand up for peace, for the constitution, for defending our peace.
11:18 But we know how to defend ourselves in all fields.
11:26 You have to let that clear.
11:27 We are going to defend our rights on the Ezequiel, on the Ezequiel Guayana.
11:38 So President, Guyanese President was boosted by ExxonMobil, Transnational, and the US Southern
11:52 Command to make this request.
11:58 But we are going to defend that territory that is ours from centuries.
12:06 Well, the first question, do you agree to reject by all means the fraudulent 1899 regulation?
12:28 Well, I want to show you this map of how was Venezuela before.
12:40 This is Venezuela.
12:41 We were born from that.
12:46 There have been a manipulation of maps, because the United Kingdom was aware of the natural
13:05 resources that were there.
13:07 So we have been-- the United Kingdom deprived from us the territory gradually, little by
13:23 little.
13:28 So that territory was usurped in five days on the 1899 regulation.
13:40 So they took that territory without our consent.
13:46 So we reject all the time this fraud.
13:54 So in 1966, we signed the Geneva Agreement, because we know that there was a claim of
14:08 Venezuela on that territory.
14:12 Well, question three, do you agree with the historical position of not recognizing the
14:21 International Court of Justice to sort out this controversy?
14:28 They are very moral.
14:30 In 1966, Venezuelans people must know and international community when the Geneva Agreement
14:40 was signed, this discussion was at that time.
14:50 And there was no such agreement, because Gallina doesn't want it.
15:01 Well, I'm going to talk as a lawyer that sides mutually agree on-- sides, if they agree,
15:22 they could go to the International Court of Justice.
15:27 This was a provisional cost.
15:31 So both sides could choose this way.
15:38 So I'll invite you to read the Geneva Agreement.
15:42 There was no such item, because there was no agreement.
15:52 And Gallina didn't want it at that time.
15:58 That's why it wasn't.
16:01 So that's why Guyanese government violates the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
16:11 Again.
16:15 Why this happened, because in 2015, when good offices have been stopped because of
16:26 the demise of an official, there appeared ExxonMobil company.
16:41 We have made some discoveries of fuel in that territory.
16:48 So what Gallina did, ended negotiations, because the government had in mind another plan.
17:02 They didn't want negotiations.
17:07 Always avoid negotiations.
17:10 So they took illegality, leaving behind the Geneva Agreement, and go by itself to request
17:23 to claim the validity of-- so what the neighbor country is looking for is to--
17:37 is to disguise to get that territory.
17:51 Well, when the United Kingdom provided independence to Guyana, Guyanese people don't have-- Guyanese
18:18 government doesn't have any document that proves their ownership of that territory.
18:27 But Venezuela has.
18:30 So that's why Guyana is in the illegal frame.
18:39 So now let's refer to question five.
18:42 Do you agree with the government's stance of Ezequiel plan to include that population
18:56 from Ezequiel as Venezuelans?
19:10 So Venezuela aims at ending and negotiating a practical solution for both sides.
19:23 So including that territory to Venezuela in the map.
19:51 Yeah, which is to--
20:12 So
20:28 on June 21, the Venezuela-- no.
20:35 Well, I want to show you the map of Venezuela.
20:42 What is there in this square?
20:47 That Venezuela recognizes Guyana as a republic from its birth.
20:57 And the left, the territory-- well, I want to have a pause to-- I want you to see the
21:12 map of Venezuela, how this usurpation occurred.
21:22 And if you compare the situation of Palestine and Israel to this territory usurpation, which
21:31 is provoked by the same empire.
21:38 So it's a way of proceeding without knowledge, and without knowledge of the international
21:47 rights, usurping a territory that doesn't belong to them for geopolitical reasons.
21:56 But it's an usurpation.
21:59 It's a robbery.
22:01 It's a robbery of a territory by someone who doesn't belong to it.
22:14 And so Guyana inherited this robbed territory from the United Kingdom.
22:23 So it doesn't belong to them.
22:30 So a Guyanese president, Ali, said he won't give a millimeter of that territory.
22:38 And that territory doesn't belong to him, because it's a robbed territory, which Guyana
22:55 inherited from the United Kingdom.
23:00 So there is no way of owning this territory.
23:10 So we have to comply with the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
23:23 You know that there are a lot of stories and myths around the issue, where Guyana is sponsoring
23:36 expenses of ExxonMobil company.
23:45 Guyana has extended its illegality and violation of the law, which is extremely serious, as
24:01 it is the fact of having a sea, of having a right to a sea that is disputed.
24:16 There is a ground controversy there, which is in process of claim.
24:30 So they cannot have any right to that sea yet.
24:38 But it's curious, because Guyana is asking what would be the result of the claim at the
24:51 ICJ.
24:56 So they said they assured the sea is theirs, and the territory is theirs, without delimiting
25:11 the sea or the ground territory.
25:21 They exclude the maritime territory, so Guyana's government goes beyond any limits.
25:39 So they just missed to take the space.
25:43 So it's rudeness and barbarism.
25:47 International community knows Venezuela is right, because President Maduro has already
25:57 explained it.
26:01 President Maduro has urged for dialogue for respect of international law, and international
26:11 rights, and international of the sea.
26:18 So they have been doing all kinds of violations before.
26:31 And Guyana's government is fulfilling orders from the US Southern Command and the Exxon
26:43 Mobil.
26:44 That's why they do it, because they are interested in the plenty of oil and natural resources
26:55 in that territory of Zequibo.
26:58 Well, I would like to show you the fiscal regimen of oil there.
27:17 More enriching for transnationals is the United Kingdom and the second Guyana.
27:31 So from this illegal exploitation, just one third goes to the people, and the rest goes
27:42 to Exxon Mobil's transnational.
27:48 So the United States and Guyana are partners to attack Venezuela.
27:58 That's why we have seen two joint military operations against Venezuela.
28:11 They have been preparing to threaten Venezuela, to attack Venezuela.
28:17 So we have raised this claim.
28:21 We have said in 2015, 2016, all years at the United Nations, to activate good offices to
28:30 avoid that the statement of Latin America as a territory for peace be violated.
28:43 So we have asked several times, we have to neutralize that perverse, that means society,
28:54 that aims at attacking Venezuela.
28:57 So here we can see, we can continue seeing the graph.
29:10 So the benefits that Venezuela gets from the oil is 30%, while Guyana's is just less than
29:23 10%.
29:27 So there you can see the incomes and the projection of oil.
29:37 Well, as you know, Guyana is now intending to say that it has the highest growth rate.
29:59 So the incomes and the human development of Guyana are the same from 2020 to nowadays,
30:16 and before in 2015, just the same.
30:22 The lowest human capital is the lowest in the region.
30:30 So we must ask President Ali, do you work for ExxonMobil Company or for the Guyanese
30:38 people?
30:41 Because the country is overwhelmingly poor, according to international reports.
30:53 So it is crystal clear that Guyana's government is working for other people.
31:09 They are not working for Guyanese.
31:14 They are not working for the Caribbean.
31:17 So when have we heard President Ali summoned a summit for the Caribbean for solving IT's
31:29 problem?
31:30 Guyana is working for ExxonMobil and gaining illegal profits.
31:42 So they know.
31:47 They search to disguise their actions.
31:57 And we have seen the escalation of provocations by Guyana's government.
32:06 Sooner or later, wanted or not, they will have to negotiate with Venezuela.
32:19 And so now they are attacking our migrants in a very cowardly act, that are in that situation
32:40 because of not respecting international rights for our blockade.
32:49 So stop with these violations.
32:57 So Ezequiel territory, Ezequiel dispute has to be solved.
33:03 It is either ours or theirs.
33:11 Ezequiel territory is part of the legacy of Simon Bolivar.
33:19 So that's why we are defending it right now.
33:24 We keep ourselves on the legal track.
33:35 So we reiterate there's only one way out.
33:40 Don't let go with the US and the ExxonMobil company.
33:53 So don't let interfere by others.
34:00 Have some dignity as a Caribbean people.
34:06 You have to negotiate with your neighbor Venezuela.
34:15 So we are going to referendum as a legitimate right as a people to defend our sacred well-being.
34:29 We were listening to the statements of Venezuela's Vice President, Delta Rodriguez.
34:33 She denounced the chain of provocations of the government of Guyana over the Ezequiel
34:38 and she also refers to the move of Guyana to go to the International Court of Justice
34:42 to demand action to prevent the holding of a referendum on December 3rd in Venezuela.
34:47 Rodriguez said this is an unprecedented action that violates international laws and the UN
34:52 Charter and is a blatant violation of Venezuela's sovereignty.
34:56 The Vice President stated that the holding of the referendum is in full compliance with
34:59 the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic and it would be held in defense of Venezuela's
35:04 national integrity.
35:05 There, she also made clear that there is plenty of evidence which has already been presented
35:10 before the International Court of Venezuela's rightful right over the Ezequiel.
35:15 The Vice President made it clear that no foreign power nor organization will lead the course
35:19 of Venezuela.
35:20 Rodriguez added that over the years, Venezuela has proven its resilience and that of the
35:25 Venezuelan people and as before, Venezuela will always defend its rights.
35:30 We will have more updates in upcoming news briefs.
35:32 Stay tuned with Telesur.
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