In wake of concerns regarding Venezuela’s construction of a bridge to Anakoko Island, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo clarified today that it is being built for the part of the island that lies within the territory of the Spanish-speaking nation.
During a press engagement, he explained that Anakoko which is situated at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Wenamu Rivers, forms part of the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. The 1899 Arbitral Award, which settled the border dispute between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela, granted only the eastern half of Anakoko Island to Venezuela. However, in the 1960s, Venezuela unilaterally occupied the entire island, a move that has never been internationally recognized but has persisted for decades.
Amidst the swirling rumors that Venezuela’s recent infrastructure developments signify a further encroachment on Guyanese territory, Jagdeo emphasized the long-standing nature of the Anakoko Island dispute. “They’ve been saying that, oh, look what’s happening. We are allowing Venezuela to take over an island because they are building some bridge from Venezuela,” Jagdeo said.
He went on to clarify that Venezuela’s actions are not a new territorial grab but a continuation of their long-standing occupation. “Remember when the award was made, the island was split into two and we had the eastern part of the island, which they subsequently took over, I don’t know, 50 years ago.
“So if anyone were to just read the history of Anakoko Island, you would see that Venezuela forcibly took over that whole island when they were only entitled to half of it based on the 1899 Award. And that took place a long time back,” he explained.
Regarding the current construction of the bridge, Jagdeo noted that it is being built on the part of the island Venezuela is supposed to control. “So they were building this bridge to their part of the island, which is—I guess they have a right to now,” he stated. Nonetheless, he said Guyana remains vigilant and proactive in its response to these developments.
“We have made it clear and the relevant bodies have been written to, consistent with our Argyle agreement and the provisional measures announced by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). We have notified all of the relevant partners, both of our multilateral and bilateral nature, about the continued attempts by Venezuela to build up a presence at our border, in a threatening posture,” Jagdeo continued, highlighting Guyana’s diplomatic efforts to address the situation.
The Vice President assured that Guyana remains committed to peace and is closely monitoring the situation. “We want to keep this region as a zone of peace. So we’re very vigilant. We’re very vigilant. We’re watching the developments. We’ve been working with our allies on this matter. Our primary preoccupation is the retention of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he reiterated.
According to a recent CNN report, Venezuela has been building up military infrastructure and hardware near the Guyanese border as President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters have intensified their rhetoric, threatening to annex the oil-rich area of Guyanese land.
The same report highlighted that despite an agreement–the Argyle agreement in December to seek a diplomatic resolution, Venezuela has continued to expand operations at its Anakoko Island military base. Satellite imagery and social media posts revealed ongoing construction, including the new bridge spanning the Cuyuni River, connecting the Venezuelan riverbank to the island.
