International

Venezuelan President orders joint defensive action against UK military threat

Photo: VTV

December 30 |

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros ordered Thursday the deployment of the joint action military exercise General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 to protect its territorial integrity, in response to the threat from the United Kingdom with the arrival of the ship HMS Trent off the coast of Guyana.

During the 2023 New Year’s Eve Salutation to officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the Venezuelan head of state strongly rejected the arrival of the British Navy ship HMS Trent to the area.

He stated that it constitutes a military threat and a provocation by the United Kingdom against a peaceful and noble, but also warrior people, such as the Venezuelan people. We are the people of the liberators, he added.

He denounced that the dispatch of the ship and its acceptance by Guyana “is a breach of the Argyle Agreements”, signed with that nation last December 14, and assumed as a road map to solve the territorial dispute over the Essequibo.

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He pointed out that since the Venezuelan government knew of London’s intention, it activated all the political-diplomatic mechanisms for Guyana to stop the arrival of the HMS Trent, but his government decided to receive the said naval vessel.

The Bolivarian leader stressed that Venezuela will not stand idly by in the face of any threat, wherever it may come from. We do not accept provocations. Venezuela has the right to defend its integrity, he made clear.

He stressed that Venezuela has respected the Argyle Agreements, but it will not stand idly by in the face of this threat, wherever it comes from. He warned that this time it comes precisely from the power that stripped Venezuela of Essequiba Guyana.

He recalled that in that locality of St. Vincent and the Grenadines a path was sought, the path of political dialogue, after close coordination with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

He pointed out that “we are responding proportionally to the threats: today we have issued a communiqué and we reserve all actions” to defend the sovereign zones of Venezuela.

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He explained that he called the military exercise joint action General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 in honor of this military chief (1834-1912), hero of Venezuela, whose remains will be taken next January to the National Pantheon. The military exercise was deployed in areas of the Venezuelan Atlantic coast and several forces are participating in it.

Venezuelan Vice-President rejects interference of the United Kingdom
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also rejected on Thursday the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial dispute over the Essequiba Guiana.

Delcy Rodriguez recalled that London forged the 1899 award to illegally appropriate the territory of the Essequibo.

The high official of the Venezuelan Government reiterated that the only historical owner has been and will continue to be Venezuela.

“The United Kingdom has the obligation to abide by what was agreed in the Argyle Declaration which expressly excludes external threats that seek to sow or escalate a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. Its threatening behavior against our country and the peace of our Region will have the timely and legitimate response of Venezuela. More than two centuries ago we decided for independence. We will not accept any kind of neocolonialism” wrote the Vice President in her X account.

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Delcy Rodríguez indicated that the United Kingdom must recognize that they are part of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

Related Topics:Nicolás Maduro Venezuela

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