-President Ali says, but affirms country will not tolerate attacks on Guyanese military personnel in Cuyuni region
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, has reaffirmed that Guyana holds no hostility towards the people of Venezuela, despite the mounting claims to the country’s resource-rich Essequibo region by the Bolivarian Republic’s regime.
Speaking at the commissioning parade of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Standard operating course #56 on Wednesday, on the aggressive posturing by Venezuelan forces in Guyana’s Cuyuni region, The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, made it clear that while the country remains committed to peace and diplomacy, it will not tolerate any acts of aggression against its citizens or military personnel.
“Guyana has no quarrel with the Venezuelan people, we have welcomed many of them who have come to our shores in search of a better life, just as our own citizens would have moved In our dark days of dictatorship, our dispute and the controversy is not born of hatred, nor does it prevent us from seeking to advance our relation, but we will not compromise our sovereignty,” President Ali said.
The border controversy is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has twice reaffirmed its jurisdiction.
In 2023, the ICJ issued provisional measures ordering Venezuela to refrain from altering the status quo; however, “Venezuela persists with unilateral laws and threats of annexation, flagrantly violating international law, the UN Charter, and the very principles that sustain global order.”
“We must make the point that our territorial space will remain a space we will defend, and we will defend it with our partners. We’ll defend it with our allies. We’ll defend it with those who stand on the side of Freedom, sovereignty, democracy, and the rule of law,” the President added.
On March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan Coast Guard ship entered Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near oil production equipment, specifically close to the FPSO PROSPERITY.
The Venezuelan vessel claimed the area was “disputed international waters” and made threatening radio communications to FPSOs operating there. This incursion was a serious breach of international law and has heightened regional tensions.
The incident drew widespread condemnation from the international community, including the Organisation of American States (OAS), CARICOM, the United States, France, and other partners.
There were also reports of multiple armed attacks along the Cuyuni River by armed men in civilian clothing firing from the Venezuelan side recently.