India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. Amit Telang, on Saturday reaffirmed his country’s unwavering support for Guyana in the ongoing territorial controversy with Venezuela, urging both nations to respect the Argyle Declaration and the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He made his comments during an engagement with the press on Saturday.
“Our position is that they (Venezuela and Guyana) should strictly abide with that declaration (the Argyle Declaration) and avoid taking any actions,” Telang said.
The Indian High Commissioner stressed that the Argyle Declaration, signed in December 2023 in the presence of regional and international stakeholders, must be honoured. The declaration commits both countries to refrain from escalating tensions or altering the status quo while the matter is before the ICJ.
“We respect the position of the government of Guyana… We have always supported Guyana and will continue to support them.” He further posited, “The matter is for consideration in the ICJ and I think the Government of Guyana has already made it clear that they would respect whatever judgement would come from the ICJ.”
Against this backdrop, Venezuela has continued to pursue actions that undermine Guyana’s sovereignty, including its proposed elections in Essequibo and military posturing near the border. He further noted that any action taken against that declaration “…Is not something that we will support.”
“We are constantly in touch, we keep talking to the authorities in the Government of Guyana and when that type of situation happens and the Government of Guyana approaches us, yes we will continue to support Guyana,” the High Commissioner assured.
The Guyana-Venezuela border controversy dates back to the late 19th century. In 1899, an international arbitration tribunal awarded the Essequibo region, nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s current territory, to then-British Guiana. Venezuela accepted the ruling for several decades until 1962, when it claimed the award was fraudulent.
Following Guyana’s independence in 1966, the two nations signed the Geneva Agreement, which allowed for a resolution process under the auspices of the United Nations. However, negotiations stagnated for decades. In 2018, Guyana formally filed an application to the ICJ to resolve the matter, seeking a declaration that the 1899 Arbitral Award is valid and binding.
Tensions between Guyana and Venezuela have reached new heights in recent weeks, after Venezuela announced plans to hold elections in the Essequibo region; a vast resource-rich area internationally recognised as Guyanese territory. The proposed elections, scheduled for May 25, 2025, are viewed by Guyana as a blatant violation of international law and a direct defiance of the ICJ’s order.
Earlier this month, the ICJ unanimously reaffirmed its provisional measures granted in December 2023, explicitly instructing Venezuela to “refrain from conducting, or preparing to conduct, any election or referendum” in the Essequibo. The court’s reaffirmation came amid ongoing provocations by Caracas, which continues to assert sovereignty over the region despite the 1899 Arbitral Award that legally settled the boundary between the two nations.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has repeatedly emphasized that the ICJ is the rightful forum to settle the dispute. “The ICJ is the forum where the voice of international law will be heard and justice will be determined,” he said in response to Venezuela’s recent actions.
