In an interview with CNN News on Wednesday, Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, expressed deep concerns about Venezuela’s latest measures to seize the Essequibo region. These measures include the appointment of a rubberstamp governor for the region as well as an ultimatum to companies in the region to exit within three months. Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, President Ali appealed for the Biden administration to contemplate imposing sanctions on Venezuela for what he deemed a blatant disregard for international law.
“The school of thought (is) that a lot of this has to do with the internal politics of Venezuela, and President Maduro trying to distract from the internal politics, but that is Venezuela’s issue,” President Ali stated.
“What he is doing is creating a direct threat to Guyana and working towards creating instability in the region. And I think the US ought to take this into consideration. We expect President Biden’s administration will look at the behavior of Venezuela in relation to the sanctions themselves.”
President Ali underscored the potential threat posed by Venezuela’s actions, highlighting the need for a strong response from the international community. He also rejected the notion of allowing a situation akin to the annexation of territories, drawing parallels with events in Ukraine. “In this Western Hemisphere, we cannot allow the annexation of a territory. That will be something that we have never contemplated in this hemisphere and will disrupt the stability, the peace that we are known for within this hemisphere.”
The interview also touched upon the influence of Russia and President Vladimir Putin, who supports President Maduro. The reporter suggested that Putin’s actions in Ukraine might be enabling Maduro’s behavior. While acknowledging this as another perspective, President Ali firmly emphasized the unique context of the Western Hemisphere, stating, “We cannot allow a situation like Ukraine in this Western Hemisphere.”
