Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has underscored that no elections, no decree, no threat can override international law.
He made these remarks in the House on Friday during the debate on a motion on Venezuela’s sham elections in the Essequibo.
The minister, in an informative presentation, emphasised that sovereignty is not a popularity contest but a legal fact grounded in treaties, arbitration, and consistent state practice.
The facts are clear and historically indisputable, he told the august body. On 3 October 1899, an international arbitration tribunal—comprising distinguished jurists from Great Britain, the United States, and Russia—unanimously settled the boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela.
“Although neither party received the outcome they were originally seeking, both sides accepted the decision made by the Arbitral Award as the ‘full, perfect, and final settlement’, as outlined in the Treaty of Washington,” he said.
According to the minister, there is substantial evidence that Venezuela accepted the arbitration award.
“In a letter dated October 7, 1899, José Andrade, the Venezuelan Ambassador in London and brother of the then-Venezuelan President, informed his Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the arbitration had ultimately awarded Venezuela exclusive control over the Orinoco River—an objective the nation had long sought to secure.”
On October 11, 1899, he pointed out that President Ignacio Andrade expressed satisfaction with the award, stating that it had restored some of Venezuela’s usurped territory and vindicated its rights.
The legal team, led by former President Benjamin Harrison, also expressed satisfaction with the award, he said.
He further noted that President William McKinley praised the award and its acceptance by both parties in his State of the Union Message to the United States Congress in December 1899.
President McKinley had said: “The International Commission of Arbitration, appointed under the Anglo-Venezuelan treaty of 1897, rendered an award on October 3 last, whereby the boundary line between Venezuela and British Guiana is determined, thus ending a controversy which has existed for the greater part of the century. The award, as to which the arbitrators were unanimous, while not meeting the extreme contention of either party, gives to Great Britain a large share of the interior territory in dispute and to Venezuela the entire mouth of the Orinoco, including Barima Point and the Caribbean littoral for some distance to the eastward. The decision appears to be equally satisfactory to both parties.”
According to Minister Anthony, Venezuela not only accepted the award but also engaged in the Joint Border Commission, which was established to demarcate the border. This commission operated from 1900 to 1905 and was responsible for mapping coordinates along a stretch of 825 kilometres.
He informed the House that on January 10, 1905, after completing the survey, the Joint Border Commission produced a detailed report and a comprehensive map that outlined the agreed-upon border between British and Venezuelan territories.
The representatives from both governments formally signed an agreement to accept the report and the map, with the demarcated borders, he said.
“All official maps published by Venezuela from 1905 to 1962 were in compliance with the Treaty of Washington, the Arbitral Award, and the demarcation performed by the Joint Boundary Commission.”
The Guyana-Venezuela matter is before the International Court of Justice.
Guyana, he reminded, remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and upholds the jurisdiction and authority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We call on the international community—governments, regional organisations, and civil society—to stand with Guyana in defence of international law, territorial integrity, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
“To our Venezuelan brothers and sisters: we have no quarrel with you. Our peoples share a history of struggle, migration, and cooperation. But friendship must be built on respect, not on threats or aggression.
“To our Guyanese brothers, sisters and children, especially those in the Essequibo: you are not alone. Your country stands with you. The Caribbean stands with you. The law stands with you. And the world is watching. Let us move forward with unity, courage, and resolve, confident that history and justice are on our side,” he said, in concluding his presentation.
