The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, announced that the Presidents of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and Guyana, Irfaan Ali, will meet in his country to discuss settling the dispute over the Essequibo region. In a message from Gonsalves published by Venezuelan channel "VTV," he stated: "The leadership of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) see it as necessary to hold a meeting between the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at 10 a.m. on December 14 to discuss the border dispute between these two great countries." He noted that the leaders had agreed to meet under the auspices of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, currently chaired by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Caricom, currently chaired by Dominica, and mentioned that the presidents requested the presence of Brazilian President Luiz da Silva, to whom an invitation has been sent.
Gonsalves added: "The leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and Caricom have expressed the interest of all parties involved in a settlement and the urgent need for calming and direct dialogue between the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela. Both declare their commitment to the Caribbean as a zone of peace and respect for international law." Recently, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro urged the National Assembly to pass a law to protect the disputed Guyana-Esequibo region. For his part, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali later stated that his country views Caracas's actions following the referendum to incorporate the disputed Essequibo region as a national security threat and intends to appeal to the United Nations Security Council, as well as all its international partners.
