Venezuelan and Guyanese officials to meet on December 14 over territorial dispute

(Patria) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will meet on Thursday with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali over the territorial dispute between the two countries, according to a letter from the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Reuters reported.

The announcement of the bilateral meeting followed Maduro's discussions with Ralph
Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who is also the pro tempore president
of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday.

Tensions have been rising in recent weeks between Venezuela and Guyana over the long-standing border dispute concerning Essequibo, an area in Guyana where vast offshore oil and gas discoveries have been made.

The Venezuelan government stated that the meeting is "to preserve our aspiration to keep Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace." The office of the President of Guyana confirmed that Ali agreed to the meeting but added that "Guyana's land border is not up for discussion".

Last weekend, voters in Venezuela rejected the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the territory.

Earlier, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke with Maduro and called for dialogue, stating the importance of avoiding unilateral measures that could escalate the situation. Lula, who was invited to Thursday's meeting as an observer, reiterated that Brazil is ready to support and monitor dialogue initiatives, reinforcing a joint declaration by South American countries released earlier this week.

The United States and Brazil are consulting each other on the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, the press service of the US Embassy in Brasilia announced.

"We affirm the United States' unwavering support for Guyana's sovereignty," the statement read, adding that both governments desire a peaceful resolution to the conflict.