On Tuesday, the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela approved the final articles of the Organic Law for the Defense of Guyana Essequiba in a second discussion. The region is disputed between Venezuela and Guyana, with Caracas referring to it as Essequibo.
The legislation prohibits individuals from supporting Georgetown’s position on the issue from running for public office in Venezuela. Anyone who publicly favors Guyana’s position over Guyana Essequiba or dishonors its symbols will be disqualified from holding public office. The AN President, Jorge Rodríguez, referred to those who do not agree with the annexation of Essequibo as “traitors.” He emphasized that there are protections against traitors in any country’s legislation.
Venezuela claims sovereignty over the Essequibo region, which makes up 70% of Guyana’s territory. An agreement signed in 1966 stated that the dispute should be resolved by an international court, but this never occurred. The current dispute is pending at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but Venezuela has indicated that it does not recognize its jurisdiction to resolve the issue. The Venezuelan population voted in a referendum to support their government’s measures to annex Essequibo.
The law includes provisions for establishing limits of Guiana Essequiba, displaying maps of Venezuela with the region attached in all public offices and holding elections in the area before it is sanctioned by the AN on Thursday before being presented to the Judiciary and Executive for promulgation.
