Venezuela flays decision on ICJ

Venezuela yesterday criticised the decision by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to forward the border controversy with Guyana to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) even as President David Granger hopes for acceptance by the Nicholas Maduro-led government. “We hope that the Venezuelan government has the maturity to accept the decision. Sending the matter to the Secretary General was a course of action mutually agreed on,” the President yesterday morning told reporters, following the accreditation of the new Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Armador Soeorro. Granger said that he did not expect that “there will be any objection” to the decision since “this has been a long process…it has taken nearly 52 years to reach where we are.” The President pointed to the many internal problems Venezuela is facing, which has seen persons from that country seeking refuge here , saying too that Guyana has been a “victim” of “unwanted” actions such as the presence of Venezuela soldiers in local waters and crimes committed by ‘Sindicatos’ on local miners. “Venezuela has been undergoing some internal difficulties for the past couple of years. We have already been victims of unwanted migration by soldiers… We have been victims of what they call Sindicatos. We hope that this does not trigger any further negative behaviour by Venezuelans,” Granger posited.