Albert Baldeo condemns Maduro’s threat to elect Essequibo governor

President of the Committee to Preserve Guyana’s Sovereignty, Albert Basdeo, in an exclusive interview with Caribbean Life, firmly demanded an end to the escalating actions of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to seize two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.

Baldeo, District Leader of Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, “Little Guyana,” said Venezuela’s recent threat to elect a governor for the Essequibo County of Guyana is an outrageous claim that must be rejected “ab initio.”

“This is a fundamental and vicious violation of international law, the Law of Nations, and basic human decency. It is tantamount to a declaration of war, an act of terror, and constitutes an egregious precedent,“ said Baldeo.

“We call upon all nations, the US President, the institutions of America, and all right-thinking individuals and organizations worldwide to condemn this illegal act. Collectively, we must safeguard Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while bringing Maduro to justice as a war criminal.”

The fierce politician who describes himself as a transformational leader, uplifting, fighting, and empowering his district as a trailblazer, said Venezuela’s plan also transgresses the Argyle Agreement of Dec. 14, 2023.

This agreement, he said, is a binding Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued on Dec. 1, 2023, which commits Guyana and Venezuela unequivocally to refrain from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from the territorial controversy between the two countries, including refraining from actions that could aggravate tensions or alter the current situation in the disputed territory, pending resolution by international law.

“Maduro’s quixotic but dangerous ambition would be another flagrant, fundamental usurpation of the basic tenets of international law, a travesty of the UN Charter, a declaration of war, and the machinations of a demented dictator, for Venezuela to attempt to conduct an election in Guyanese territory involving Guyanese nationals, in an independent land where it has no jurisdiction.”

He told Caribbean Life that Venezuela’s resources would be better spent providing for the suffering masses who seek refuge en masse in other countries and are fleeing the Maduro dictatorship in unprecedented numbers.

The community leader who has argued that ‘we can do better in our politics and for our neighborhoods,’ with him as a leader, demands, “We will not, and must not, allow this to happen“ as he continues to call on the President of the USA, US Congress, UN, US Secretary of State, and the ICJ to step in to end this ongoing tension with Guyana, headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat.