The removal of Nicolas Maduro from office in Venezuela does not mean that Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s Essequibo Region has shifted. That’s according to Aubrey Norton, Leader of the People’s National Congress Refo1rm and A Partnership for National Unity.
In an interview with Editor-in-Chief Enrico Woolford on Context, Mr. Norton said that given recent events — including the arrest of Maduro and his wife Cilia — Guyana’s primary focus must remain the protection of its territorial integrity.
The former Opposition Leader added that because Guyana is unable to defend itself militarily against Venezuelan aggression, the government must strengthen its diplomatic policy.
Under Maduro’s leadership, Guyana faced repeated acts of hostility, including attacks on soldiers, incursions by Venezuelan navy vessels into Guyana’s waters, and contact with a floating production, storage and offloading unit. Maduro also pushed for a referendum seeking to illegally annex Guyana’s Essequibo Region.