MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina calls on Venezuela and Guyana for a peaceful resolution to the Essequibo controversy

The Essequibo dispute involves almost two thirds of the current Guyana territory

Argentina has called on Venezuela and Guyana to favour dialogue and a peaceful resolution, in conformity with International Law, regarding their territorial controversy over the region of Essequibo.

The foreign ministry brief release also underlines the significance of territorial integrity, and that neither side adopts measures that endanger peace and security in the region.

In effect, “The Argentine government underlines the fundamental importance with respect to the principle of territorial integrity and, at the same time, the importance that any of both sides avoids adopting measures that endanger the peace and security of the region, urging on them to persevere in the search of a peaceful resolution of the controversy in conformity with Articles 2.3 and 33 of the United Nations Charter”.

As a reference to the controversy between neighboring Venezuela and Guyana, it can be said that the Essequibo is an undeveloped, sparsely populated but resource-rich jungle territory region, nearly sixty percent of modern Guyana, consisting of all its territory west of the Essequibo River.

Venezuela’s deeply rooted belief is that the Essequibo region, inherited from the Spanish empire, was unjustly taken from them by meddling foreign powers. It is a matter of national integrity, made more alluring by the possible wealth of natural resources there. Guyana’s position is that they are trying to defend the land that has been part of their country for almost 200 years, land they need to help develop their country economically.

The territorial dispute, dating back to the 1830s, has heated up in recent months, after Exxon Mobil, working for the Guyanese government, announced in 2015 that it had discovered large reserves of oil in ocean waters off the disputed territory.