As Guyana stands firm at Essequibo talks in SVG: MADURO: I COME IN PEACE

VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro said he came in peace to do his country's business in a tweet on landing at the Argyle Airport in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Thursday for talks with Guyana President Dr Irfaan Ali.

The talks were aimed at de-escalating the row over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

The meeting was called by Caricom, chaired by Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) chairman SVG Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Ali, in a later briefing, said Guyana was not the aggressor in the dispute. He told reporters he had "very strongly" complained of a contrast between Venezuela's words of peace and Maduro's stated intention to take over the Essequibo region, based on a purported popular mandate after a recent consultative referendum.

Maduro and Ali arrived in the morning separately with their contingents, their arrivals recorded in video clips posted online by Caracas-based Telesur and Guyana News Room.

Gonsalves greeted each leader warmly on the runway.

The leaders were also met by a military guard of honour as dozens of media personnel swarmed around.

On landing, Maduro, wearing a white shirt as if to symbolise peace, like several others in his contingent, embraced Gonsalves in a comradely bear hug and then kissed his host's wife, Eloise Gonsalves.

Maduro tweeted on Twitter/X, "We arrived in St Vincent and the Grenadines, with the flag of peace and the mandate of the Venezuelan people held high."

In another tweet, Maduro said, "We arrived in SVG with the mandate of the people of Venezuela to advance through dialogue and the word of peace, defending the rights of the people and our homeland. We are seeking effective, satisfactory and practical solutions as mandated by the Geneva Agreement.

"I am pleased that CELAC and Caricom have achieved this step. We will make the most of it for peace!"

Guyana News Room via Twitter reported Gonsalves as saying, "We have two leaders who are mature and wise, Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela, and I expect them to apply their maturity and wisdom and patience and calm."

Ali arrived in a blue business suit, sporting a wristband displaying an outline of Guyana, including the Essequibo region, according to a post on his Facebook page.

He was greeted by Gonsalves, with his wife, who walked with him in an embrace as they went into the airport to meet other Caricom leaders.

These included TT Prime Minister Dr Rowley, Skerrit, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis. TT's Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne was also present, along with CELAC and UN officials.

At about 11 am, the Office of the Prime Minister on Facebook posted a photo of Caricom leaders, including Dr Rowley, meeting around a table ahead of Ali and Maduro's arrival.

The Guyana Chronicle on Twitter/X reported Ali telling Caricom leaders the border controversy must be resolved by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"The head of state said that Guyana’s only intention is to secure, ensure peace, security in the region," the Chronicle reported.

Guyana News Room reported Ali with Caricom leaders reiterating Guyana's position in accepting the invitation, that the border controversy was "not up for discussion, negotiation or deliberation."

Maduro then joined the meeting. He and Ali shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Maduro shook hands with Brazilian retired minister/diplomat Celso Amorim, named to chair the talks.

Maduro sat directly opposite Ali, with Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez behind her leader.

The Venezuela-based news agency Telesur reported, "Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro explained the purpose of this first conversation with Guyana's President Irfaan Ali.

"It is to seek, through dialogue and negotiation, effective, satisfactory, and practical solutions, as mandated by the Geneva Agreement."

The meeting came after Gonsalves warned against any escalation over the Essequibo.

Maduro raised tensions over Guyana’s oil-rich Essequibo region earlier this month by declaring it part of Venezuela after claiming a ten-million voter mandate in a consultative referendum.

He issued a map portraying the Essequibo as part of an enlarged Venezuela, named a purported military governor of the area, ordered Venezuelan companies to undertake and administer oil exploration, and promised a census of the local population, who would all be issued Venezuelan ID cards.

Maduro’s move defied the ICJ’s recent order for Venezuela to refrain from any action on the Essequibo, pending its ultimate ruling.

It also comes against a recent backdrop of Brazil moving troops to its border and the US Southern Command announcing military flights over the Essequibo.

Last Saturday, Gonsalves invited Ali and Maduro to the talks, which Brazil President Lula da Silva was asked to chair, but who instead named Amorim.

Gonsalves had urged Ali and Maduro to summon the proverbial "wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the foresight of all the ancient prophets" to engender neighbourliness, peace, justice, security and prosperity. He said the two leaders could "help to save the region from intense conflict which will bring about lots of pain and suffering, and will set back this region more than a generation.”

After the meeting, Ali told reporters, "There is absolutely no retreat by Guyana in ensuring that this matter is determined by the ICJ and that the outcome of this matter at the ICJ be respected by all."

He said Caricom had again said the 1899 arbitral award must be determined by the ICJ, whose ruling all must respect.

Ali noted the phases of the meeting – Caricom-Guyana; Caricom-Venezuela; and Guyana-Venezuela (with Caricom, CELEC, Brazil and the UN) – recalling the last.

"In that meeting, I outlined, once again, Guyana's clear position that is we are a peace-abiding country and people.

"We have no other ambition than to pursue the peaceful co-existence with Venezuela and every country in this region."

Ali asserted Guyana's rights.

"I made it very clear that Guyana has all the right to exercise its sovereign right within its territorial space to approve of and facilitate any development, any investment, any partnership, any training, any collaboration, any co-operation (or) the issuing of any licence and the granting of any concessions within our territorial space and within our sovereign space. I made it clear that the controversy must be resolved at the ICJ."

"And we are unwavering and resolute in ensuring that Guyana's case is presented, defended under the ICJ."

Ali said he made it clear that the ICJ was employed under the Geneva Agreement, which lets a UN secretary general decide where to determine the controversy, that is, the ICJ.

"I want to say that we agreed with all the regional partners that the priority is peace, and that every threat of force or the use of force must be denounced and that every party must take responsibility.

"We made it very clear that Guyana is not the aggressor. Guyana is not seeking war.

"But Guyana reserves the right to work with all our partners to ensure the defence of our country. All our partnership is based on the defence of our territorial integrity and our sovereignty."

He vowed Guyana would do all in its sovereign space to promote development and ensure the defence of what was lawfully its own.

However, he said Guyana and Venezuela both committed to ensuring the region remained a zone of peace.

Ali praised Caricom, CELAC and Brazil for helping the day's dialogue.

He did not comment on a question about Venezuela's timelines to act inside the Essequibo on its referendum results.

"Let us see. I am not going to go beyond where the meeting is right now. Let's see what comes out of the next meeting."

A reporter asked about a Venezuelan delegation aircraft sporting the slogan, "The Esequibo is ours."

Ali, in reply, held up his wristband, which portrayed Guyana, including the Essequibo.

"This tells you. All of it belongs to Guyana. This is the map of Guyana. No narrative, propaganda, decree, can change this."

Asked about his hopes for the talks, Ali replied, "Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and working for peace and stability in the region."

Caracas-based Telesur indicated the two leaders indicated a willingness to meet again for further discussions.