Barbadian Representative to the Organisation of American States, Noel Anderson, outlined the country’s position on the matter. Anderson says Barbados will stand alongside Guyana in defense of its territorial borders.

“We respect Guyana’s sovereign right to defend its territory as has been outlined in [the] 1899 Arbitral Award. What we all seek, however, is peaceful and mature solutions to the issues of conflict, and particularly within this region,” Anderson said during a special meeting of the OAS’s Permanent Council.

He observed, “in a world that has become so unpredictable, we must have peaceful and equitable outcomes in accordance with international law. We must also respect our reputation as a zone of peace.”

Prime Minister Mia Mottley echoed similar sentiments during her party’s convention but noted that Venezuela and Barbados share beneficial bilateral relations. “CARICOM has spoken, but equally we know that Venezuela has been a good sister country to us,” Mottley said.

While Guyana and Barbados share good relations and have signed several bilateral agreements, Barbados also shares good ties with Venezuela. Earlier this year, Mia Mottley, travelled to Caracas, where she held wide-ranging discussions with President Nicolas Maduro. In July, the two countries signed a number of bilateral agreements in the areas of aviation, agriculture, energy, and education.