Presidential Decree dated 10 July 1968

Page 1 National legislation - DOALOS/OLA - United Nations asdf Presidential Decree dated 10 July 1968 Raul Leoni, President of the Republic, employing the attributions conferred on him by the National Constitution and in conformity with the Law of the Territorial Sea, Continental Shelf, Protection of Fishing and Air Space and with the Ratifying Law of the Convention of the Continental Shelf: Considering that Article two of the Law of the Territorial Sea, Continental Shelf, Protection of Fishing and Air Space and Article four and following of the Ratifying Law of the Convention on the Continental Shelf wherein the places where the conditions of the Continental seaboard and islands require it to foresee the drawing of straight baselines from which the Territorial Sea is measured: Considering that in various zones of the Venezuelan seaboard there exist geographic conditions requiring the initiation of the fixing of the said lines in sectors of the seaboard of the Republic, it is decreed: Article one. The following straight baseline is drawn in the sector of the Venezuelan seaboard embracing a point between the dividing line of the River Essequibo and Arguapiche Point in the Federal Territory Delta Amacuro from a point with the co-ordinates nine degrees, twenty-seven minutes and thirty seconds of North latitude and sixty degrees and fifty-two minutes of West longitude to another point with the co-ordinates eight degrees and twenty-six minutes of North latitude and fifty-nine degrees, thirty-four/minutes and thirty seconds of West longitude. Article two. The territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone corresponding to Venezuela in the sector is measured from the straight baseline where it has been drawn and from the low-tide line in the remainder of its length with the exception contained in article four. Article three. The rights of Sovereignty of Venezuela over the territorial waters whose restoration is claimed from Guyana are expressly reserved, that is to say, the strip three miles wide along the coasts of the territory included between the mouth of the River Essequibo and the mouth of the River Guainia as well as the interior waters in the said zone defined by the straight baseline drawn in the present decree. Article four. The straight baseline at the mouth of the River Essequibo will be in accordance with that of the neighbouring State. Article five. The official Notes that are published hereafter will make clear the measure adopted by the present decree. Article six. The Ministers of External Relations, Defence, Public Works, Agriculture and Communications are charged with the execution of the present decree.