Caribbean Mediation Was Decisive for Venezuela-Guyana Meeting

On Thursday, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is hosting a regional meeting in which the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the Guyanese President Irfaan Ali will hold a direct dialogue on the Essequibo region.

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"PM Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica is poised to join the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in crucial discussions surrounding the ongoing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela," BBN reported.

In the week prior to this meeting, Skerrit, Gonsalves and other regional leaders were making intense efforts to bring Guyana and Venezuela closer together with the aim of avoiding an escalation of the diplomatic conflict between these nations.

"In a world often marred by conflict, the role of these organizations in promoting diplomatic dialogue and peaceful resolution can't be overstated. The participation of leaders like PM Skerrit is an embodiment of the region's collaborative spirit in addressing such disagreements," BBN commented .

Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil's text reads, "Today we had a meeting with Roosevelt Skerrit, the prime minister of Dominica and president pro tempore of CARICOM, to inform him about the results of the Dec. 3 referendum, in which Venezuelans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the defense of Guyana Esequiba. We also inform him of President Nicolas Maduro's determination to address the territorial controversy with Guyana through direct negotiations, in accordance with the Geneva Agreement, in order to guarantee peace in the region, respecting the sovereignty of both countries and without external interference."

The mediation efforts of the Presidency of Brazil, CELAC, and CARICOM were also significant in achieving a direct bilateral meeting between Maduro and Ali, which seemed somewhat difficult at the height of the diplomatic conflict.

On Thursday, before their face-to-face dialogue, Maduro and Ali spoke separately with the CARICOM leaders who attended the meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Guyanese president Ali took the first turn in these previous conversations with representatives of the Caribbean countries, among whom was former Foreign Minister of Belize Lisa Shoman, who is currently an advisor to CARICOM.

Then, the Venezuelan president Maduro went to the meeting room accompanied by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who has been leading the defense of Venezuelan sovereignty over the Essequibo at the international level.