MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Maduro defends Venezuela's claim to Guayana Esequiba

Maduro claimed “Trojan horses” wanted to hand over what is Venezuela's over to imperialism

Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro staunchly defended his country's claim to the Guayana Esequiba territory, asserting during his weekly broadcast show that the disputed area was an integral part of the nation inherited from Simón Bolívar and backed by over 90% of Venezuelans in a 2023 referendum.

He also accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia of trying to cede the territory to Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and ExxonMobil.

Maduro labeled Rubio the “mafia boss” behind these efforts, claiming US imperialism seeks to weaken Venezuela and seize its resources, including the Essequibo, Orinoco, and Caribbean Sea.

”More than 90% of the Venezuelan people approved the creation of the state of Guayana Esequiba and to move forward in a legal, constitutional process as part of the international law for the recovery of that territory that belongs to Venezuela and not as Marco Rubio, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia say, who say that Guayana Esequiba is not Venezuelan. Rubio, the father, the mafia boss of Machado and González Urrutia, says that Guayana Esequiba belongs to Irfaan Ali (president of Guyana) and to ExxonMobil. The Guayana Esequiba is Venezuelan territory, neither you (Rubio), nor anyone (Machado, González) will take that territory away from Venezuela,“ the Bolivarian leader insisted.

He highlighted the so-called Organic Law for the Defense of the Essequibo, enacted in April 2024, which reaffirms Venezuela’s sovereignty, upholds the 1966 Geneva Agreement, and rejects the 1899 Arbitration Award.

”This week marks the first year of the Organic Law of the Essequiba Guayana. Why does imperialism, Marco Rubio, want to weaken Venezuela and wants to overthrow the legitimate government and lay its hands on it? To hand over the Essequibo, the Orinoco, and the Venezuelan sea to ExxonMobil and the interests of imperialism. To take away the Essequibo, that is why they want to do away with Maduro, with the Revolution and democracy,“ he further argued.

Maduro also announced Chief Admiral Neil Villamizar, a ”man of the people,“ as the candidate for the first elected governor of the proposed Guayana Esequiba state in the upcoming May 25 elections.

The Chavista head of State also warned against ”Trojan horses” within Venezuela who might surrender the territory and highlighted the nomination of 24 candidates, including five women, by the Great Simón Bolívar Patriotic Pole, reflecting a diverse and ethical selection process for regional leadership.