PM Rowley to Attend the Venezuela-Guyana Meeting

On Wednesday, Trinidad & Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley confirmed his participation in the meeting in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, where Presidents Nicolas Maduro and Irfaan Ali will discuss matters related to the Venezuela-Guyana dispute over the Essequibo.

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Presidents of Venezuela and Guyana to Meet in St. Vincent

Since last week, authorities of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves have been promoting this meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday.

This high-level encounter, framed as a short-term mechanism to prevent an escalation of tensions between Venezuela and Guyana, has been accepted by Presidents Maduro and Ali.

On Saturday, Gonsalves publicly shared a letter he sent to the presidents of Venezuela and Guyana. Besides offering to facilitate bilateral discussions, he urged them to "seek the wisdom of Solomon" to resolve their territorial differences.

Currently, St. Vincent & the Grenadines holds the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Gonsalves, as the president of this regional institution, reminded Maduro and Ali of their commitment to peace.

"Both of you have concurred with this assessment in the quest for peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law, and the avoidance of the use or threats of force. Both of you are on the public record of committing to the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and the maintenance of international law," he stated in his letter.

Venezuela and Guyana requested the presence of Brazilian President Lula da Silva at high-level meeting. This will not happen, but the Brazilian presidency will send a representative.