00:00Ghana's President, Dr. Mohamed Elfranali, announced on his Facebook page that he had written to the Chairman of CARACOM,
00:07Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terence Drew,
00:10quote, formally objecting to Venezuela's Acting President, Delce Rodriguez's public display of a map during official engagements
00:16within CARACOM member states, which falsely portrays Ghana's Esequibo region as part of Venezuela, end quote.
00:24During Acting President Rodriguez's state visit to Barbados,
00:27some observers commented online that the brooch she was wearing displayed the map that President Ali referred to in his
00:34letter to CARACOM's chairman.
00:36Venezuela's Acting President was also recently on an official trip to Grenada.
00:41In his letter, President Ali wrote that, quote,
00:44Ghana fully respects the sovereign right of CARACOM member states to conduct bilateral relations with all partners,
00:50including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
00:52However, it is deeply regrettable that such engagements have been accompanied by the prominent display of symbols
01:00asserting Venezuela's claim to Ghana's territory, end quote.
01:04President Ali further wrote that Venezuela cannot, while the cases before the International Court of Justice,
01:10seek to normalize the symbols, maps, legislation, appointments, or officially display what it has failed to establish in law.
01:17President Ali added that CARACOM's principled support for Guyana must be reflected not only in declarations,
01:24but also in the context and conduct of official engagements.
01:29CARACOM, in a quick response, acknowledged President Ali's letter.
01:33CARACOM stated that in the exercise of their sovereign rights,
01:36member states remain mindful of their collective responsibilities to the Treaty of Shagaramas.
01:43CARACOM also underscores that community platforms and engagements should not be used,
01:48whether directly or indirectly, to advance or appear to legitimize claims
01:52that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings before the International Court of Justice.
01:58CARACOM then declared the community's longstanding and unequivocal support
02:02for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana
02:05and for the peaceful resolution of the controversy through the court remains firm and unchanged.
02:11During the first year of the UNC-led government since the 2025 general election,
02:17Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Basasa has made clear the government's support for Guyana in the Essequibo matter.
02:23Acting President Rodriguez was appointed Venezuela's leader
02:26after U.S. forces captured Venezuela's president and his wife in Caracas in January of this year.
02:32Appearing alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley at a news conference after their meeting,
02:37acting President Rodriguez announced areas of agreement after their meeting,
02:43which include tourism, trade, and Venezuela's oil and natural gas sectors.
02:48Another very important topic we touched on is energy.
02:52Hemos invitado a Barbados a que pueda invertir en campos tanto de petróleo y gas en Venezuela.
02:57We have also invited Barbados to come and invest in oil fields,
03:02also in gas exploration in Venezuela.
03:04Que se sume al esfuerzo y a la iniciativa de incrementar producción de hidrocarburos en Venezuela.
03:11To join strength to increase the production of hydrocarbons in Venezuela.
03:18Y que podamos garantizar suministro y seguridad energética también para Barbados en el futuro.
03:25And that we can also guarantee the supply and the safety for energy to the people of Barbados in the
03:30future.
03:31Earlier this month, Prime Minister Kamla Pesad-Besessa announced
03:34that shortly a diplomatic delegation will depart Trinidad and Tobago
03:38to go to Venezuela to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago gets its just share of the oil and gas
03:44that it partly owns through the NGC.
03:48Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:51Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:53Jewel Brown, TV7 News.
03:53Jebel Brown, TV6 News.
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