PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has affirmed that Guyana remains vigilant and secure amid recent political developments in neighbouring Venezuela, reassuring citizens that national security forces are on heightened alert along the western border.
PM Phillips said that in response to unfolding events in Venezuela, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), alongside regional and law enforcement authorities, has intensified patrols and monitoring in border communities.
He noted that GDF troops are permanently stationed along the border, and have moved into an elevated state of readiness in light of the situation.
The Prime Minister, speaking on the ‘Starting Point’ podcast, stated that he visited Region One to engage directly with defence officials, and residents, stressing that the government’s priority is to ensure that any instability beyond Guyana’s borders does not spill over into the country.
While there have been no reports of unusual activity along the Guyana–Venezuela border, Phillips emphasised that security forces will continue to observe developments closely and remain prepared.
“To date, we have not seen, thankfully, anything unusual, just the routine or what we consider the routine activities of people on the frontier, but we will not fall into any false sense of security and believing that everything is back to normal. We will continue to observe, we continue to focus on ensuring that any instability or any untoward acts the other side of the border don’t spill over to our side,” the Prime Minister said.
It was reported by Rueters earlier this month that a toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism after President Donald Trump’s stunning capture of him rattled world leaders and left officials in Caracas scrambling to respond.
The Bolivarian Republic’s leader pleaded not guilty in New York federal court to four criminal counts that include narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. The next court date was set for March 17.
Maduro is accused of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network that partnered with violent groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombian FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
