Members of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) gathered on Thursday afternoon ahead of a four-day summit regarding the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the resource-rich Essequibo territory.
Analysts said such a dispute brings into question the legitimacy of Western powers and the growing frustration of the Global South. The assembly of 20 states tackled issues including failing democracy and harsh sanctions in Venezuela, human rights, and refugees.
Western powers including Britain and the United States supported Guyana, while a majority of the participating nations called to notice the humanitarian suffering that has resulted from this dispute.
Nations of the Global North including Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, and Malta addressed the authoritarian character of the Venezuelan government and the hindrance they believe it has given to the settling of this conflict.
“The truth is that the current authoritarian regime in Venezuela is the root of this issue,” the Maltese representative argued.
Switzerland called for the implementation of “free and inclusive elections,” echoing statements repeated by other nations that democratic system is needed for the issue to be resolved.
South American countries including Ecuador and Colombia stressed the need for a reestablishment of a democratic system in Venezuela to settle a refugee crisis they blamed on President Nicolas Maduro’s autocratic rule.
Venezuela offered a rebuttal to Western nations, arguing that the looming humanitarian crisis in the country was due to U.S.-imposed sanctions.
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