Guyana condemns Venezuela for signing into law a referendum approving annexation of disputed region

By BERT WILKINSON
Associated Press

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Venezuela has signed into law the results of a recent referendum that lays claim over two-thirds of Guyana. The move triggered a strong response from the neighboring South American country whose government condemned the move on Thursday. Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs vowed not to yield any land to Venezuela and called the move targeting Guyana’s western Essequibo region an “egregious violation of the most fundamental principles of international law.” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held a referendum in December to claim sovereignty over the oil- and mineral-rich region, arguing it was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago.