-Condemns Venezuela’s ‘sham’ Essequibo election

THE United States has once again reaffirmed its unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty, denouncing Venezuela’s latest move to hold what it calls a “sham election” in Guyana’s Essequibo region.

In a statement released Sunday via the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, declared, “The United States rejects all attempts by Nicolas Maduro and his illegitimate regime to undermine Guyana’s territorial integrity, including this latest sham election in the Essequibo region.”

The sharp rebuke follows recent announcements by the Maduro regime to install a governor and legislative council for what it claims as the “Guayana Esequiba State”—a provocative move that directly violates international legal orders.

Earlier this month, the International Court of Justice had ordered Venezuela to refrain from holding or preparing for any elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region, pending a final ruling on the ongoing controversy.

The new measure explicitly states that, pending a final decision, Venezuela “shall refrain from conducting elections, or preparing to conduct elections, in the territory in dispute, which the Co-operative Republic of Guyana currently administers and over which it exercises control.”

Last week, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriott noted that the US has pledged its full support to the Guyana Defence Force in efforts to secure Guyana’s borders and crack down on escalating criminal activities linked to Venezuelan aggression along the frontier.

At that time, she noted that the United States would stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Guyana in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Venezuela has been in the news recently owing to the sindicatos acts of aggression against the GDF patrolling the Cuyuni River.
“These are criminals engaging in criminal activity and the United States stands ready to support the GDF in its effort to eradicate this activity along Guyana’s frontier and to ensure the safety

and security of Guyana’s people,” Ambassador Theriot said.
The incidents, which occurred between May 13 and 15, 2025, involved armed men in civilian clothing firing at GDF ranks from the Venezuelan side of the river between Eteringbang and Makapa.

No soldiers were injured, and the GDF confirmed that its personnel responded with “appropriate action” in all instances.
“We fully support the ICJ provisional measures for Venezuela to halt its so-called elections in the Essequibo… We are extremely unhappy that they made that ill-advised decision to go ahead,” Theriot noted.

The ambassador added that the U.S. State Department will soon release a “very strongly worded” statement making Washington’s position on the matter crystal clear.

Theriot dismissed Venezuela’s provocations as nothing more than “sabre-rattling” and warned that no such tactics would alter America’s longstanding commitment to Guyana.
“No amount of bluster or sabre-rattling changes the fact that the United States will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Guyana,” she asserted.

During his visit to Guyana in March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning to Venezuela, stating that any aggression towards Guyana or US oil major, ExxonMobil, would result in severe consequences for the Maduro regime.

“If they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like that, it would be a very bad day; a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio said, referring directly to the Venezuelan Government.

He added: “I’m not going to get into the details of what we’ll do. We’re not big on those kinds of threats; I think everybody understands.”
Rubio’s statement had followed a recent incursion into Guyana’s waters by a Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol vessel, which targeted ships supporting ExxonMobil’s offshore operations, including the Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The FPSO currently produces up to 250,000 barrels of oil per day, and is central to Guyana’s rapidly growing energy sector.
The aggressive action raised alarm in Washington and globally, marking a serious escalation in a controversy that has seen Caracas increasingly encroach on Guyanese maritime territory, including oil-rich acreage legally licensed by Guyana to ExxonMobil.

The Secretary of State said that the United States stands firmly behind Guyana’s right to develop its natural resources without intimidation or coercion from neighbouring regimes.
He further noted that the presence and mobility of the US Navy should serve as a clear reminder of America’s global reach and military capabilities.

“We have a big Navy; it can get anywhere in the world…We have commitments that exist today with Guyana, and we want to build on those, expand on those. But sufficing to say, if that regime were to do something such as that, it would be a very bad move,” the U.S. official said.

On the geopolitical front, Rubio explicitly denounced Venezuela’s territorial claims as “illegitimate”, and reaffirmed Washington’s unwavering support for Georgetown.
“There will be consequences for adventurism,” he declared, noting: “We will not allow illegitimate territorial claims to be an impediment to your dreams, and to your right to develop this country into a symbol that I hope will inspire others.”