The President of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Mr Mario Hastings, recently reaffirmed the Association’s support for the measures taken by the Government of Guyana to defend the territorial integrity of the Essequibo Region.
Please see the full text of a statement he made on behalf of the APA.
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) lends its voice in affirming unequivocally the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, as our country celebrates 59 years of independence. The organisation notes with great concern, the persistent and unfounded position of the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, asserting that Essequibo forms part of their territory.
This claim is far removed from the truth, and the APA is appalled at this position taken by the neighbouring government. We wish to strongly state that Essequibo is unequivocally part of Guyana’s sovereign territory and home to the nine Indigenous Peoples who have occupied and lived in this beautiful area of Guyana since time immemorial. We further assert that any attempts to contradict this fact not only disregard our historical presence but also constitute a clear violation of international law and must be condemned.
Our peoples called these lands home long before European colonisation. Our continued presence and allegiance to the State of Guyana remain unquestioned. We are aware that the facts pertaining to our occupation of what we know as Essequibo were used in the 1899 Arbitral Award to delineate the boundaries of modern-day Guyana. Therefore, Indigenous Peoples’ territorial occupation and Guyana’s sovereignty are undeniably linked.
Furthermore, the APA wishes to register its support of the recent intervention made at the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by Guyana’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, Her Excellency Mrs. Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett, that asserted our country’s territorial right over Essequibo. Indigenous Peoples throughout Guyana hold the firm belief that the Essequibo is rightfully and indisputably part of Guyana’s sovereign territory. Our peoples are proud Guyanese foremost.
The APA is cognizant of the fact that while a majority of Indigenous Peoples live in the Essequibo County, Guyanese of all ethnicities also call Essequibo home. It is therefore imperative that the country’s territory be protected by all means necessary in the face of renewed threats to its sovereignty by the Venezuelan administration.
The APA stands resolute in defending the sovereignty of Guyana and the rights of all its peoples. We call on the national and international community to join us in upholding justice, truth, and the sanctity of our internationally recognised borders.
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