See full statement from the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC):
The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) wishes to join with the Government of Guyana (GoG) in reinforcing our unequivocal confidence in the investment climate in Guyana and urge the wider business community to pursue their business as usual without any fear.
Following the unlawful referendum by the Maduro Government in Venezuela to annex two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory, the Maduro regime issued a series of ultimatums, including ordering oil companies to cease operations in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone within three months.
We reiterate that the referendum has no bearing on international law, and more so, it is a blatant violation of the provisional measures handed down by the International Court of Justice.
In this circumstance, GOGEC is cognizant of concerns within the business community regarding whether businesses should be concerned about an adverse ripple effect in the economic environment. To this end, GOGEC reaffirms that the business community should not react in a manner that would engender weakened confidence in the economy.
The Government of Guyana under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has been taking all necessary steps to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity, the national leadership has also successfully and remarkably spurred strong international support from many countries and international organizations across the globe.
We have also seen the increasing military collaboration between the Guyana Defense Force with our Brazilian counterpart, the United States and Canada.
Given all of the foregoing and considering the tireless work and leadership of the Government on the diplomacy front, there is absolutely no reasonably justifiable basis for the private sector to dampen its confidence in the investment climate.
Furthermore, the Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo at his press conference held yesterday (December 7th, 2023), strongly assured the private sector and the country at large that the government’s development agenda will not be placed on pause, the government is moving ahead with its budget 2024 preparation, and he urged the oil companies to completely disregard any threats from the Maduro regime.
