KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Mar 18, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has arrived in Venezuela for talks with President Nicolas Maduro as tensions rise between the South American country and Guyana over the disputed Essequibo region.
He arrived there from Georgetown where he had held talks with President Irfaan Ali.
A government statement said that Gonsalves, who serves as an interlocur, based on the Argyle Agreement signed between the two countries here in December 2023, is meeting Maduro later on Tuesday.
It said that Prime Minister Gonsalves spoke with President Ali on Monday, urging calm and restraint and for both parties to return to diplomacy.
According to the statement, he is reminding both leaders “of the Argyle Declaration” of which they both signed onto.
“Dr. Gonsalves also cautioned that an escalation into open conflict could devastate both nations, economically and socially and destablise the entire Latin America and Caribbean region, potentially leaving us with a humanitarian and refugee problem,” the statement said.
(Details in Politics section)
CMC/2025