–calls on CARICOM to take a stand

GUYANA’S Private Sector Commission (PSC) has strongly condemned what it described as a “deliberate and provocative display of imagery” by a senior Venezuelan official during a recent high-level regional engagement in Barbados, warning that silence from Caribbean partners risks emboldening further escalation of Venezuela’s longstanding claim to Guyana’s Essequibo territory.
The statement from the PSC was prompted by the State visit of Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to Barbados on April 26 and 27, during which imagery depicting Guyana’s Essequibo region as part of Venezuela was reportedly displayed in the presence of Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
The high-profile visit, the second such regional engagement by Rodríguez following a similarly controversial trip to Grenada earlier this month, where she was seen wearing a brooch depicting Venezuela’s map inclusive of the Essequibo, drew immediate backlash from Guyana’s private sector.
“This act is neither incidental nor benign,” the PSC stated, characterising the gesture as a form of “symbolic aggression” intended to influence regional perceptions, shape narratives, and test international resolve.
The Commission argued that such provocations are particularly unacceptable and risk undermining regional stability, eroding trust, and weakening the principles of peaceful dispute resolution.
The PSC reaffirmed Guyana’s unequivocal position on the matter, saying: “Essequibo is Guyana’s.” The Commission stressed that the territory is administered by Guyana, populated by Guyanese citizens, and protected under international law.
It further condemned Venezuela’s broader pattern of provocation, including the creation of a so-called “Guayana Esequiba State”, a move that defies both orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the commitments outlined in the Argyle Declaration.
The tensions come amid a broader escalation of Venezuela’s claims in recent years. The ICJ had ordered Venezuela not to take any action to alter Guyana’s control of the area, pending the court’s final ruling on the border controversy matter.
Despite this, Venezuela has pressed on, with its National Assembly passing legislation formally adding Guyana’s sovereign territory to Venezuela’s maps.
The Barbados visit appeared to continue a pattern of Venezuelan officials using diplomatic forums to promote the annexation claim.
Venezuela’s acting president has been particularly active regionally since Nicolas Maduro’s removal from office, with her Grenada trip on April 9 sparking outrage when she wore a map brooch including Essequibo as Venezuelan territory at a press conference alongside Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
Critics argued that Mitchell’s warm reception of Rodríguez implicitly lent legitimacy to Venezuela’s territorial posturing.
In its statement, the PSC called specifically on the Government of Barbados, “a valued CARICOM partner and long-standing friend of Guyana”, to stand firmly in defence of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Commission also extended its appeal to all CARICOM member states and regional and international partners, urging them to remain “vigilant and unequivocal” in their support for the Rule of Law.
“Silence or inaction in the face of such deliberate provocation risks emboldening further escalation,” the PSC warned.
The call mirrors sentiments expressed by CARICOM heads of government, who, at their July 2025 summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica, reaffirmed their “unwavering support” for Guyana’s sovereignty, and urged Venezuela to comply with the ICJ process, calling Caracas’ unilateral claims “baseless”.
The ICJ case, which centres on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award establishing the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, is expected to advance to oral hearings in May 2026.
Closing its statement with a firm declaration, the PSC said that Guyana’s economic stability, investment climate, and national development depend on the inviolability of its borders and respect for international law.
The Commission concluded with the defiant declaration that has become a rallying chant for Guyanese across all sectors: “Essequibo belongs to Guyana.