Border controversy: Caricom calls on Venezuela to respect ICJ process

– reiterates unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty, territorial integrity

After confirming that no elections were held by Venezuela in Guyana’s Essequibo region, the Caribbean Community (CariCom) is now calling on the Spanish-speaking nation to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and file its pleadings next month.
Back in January, the Nicolás Maduro regime had announced plans to elect a governor and legislative council of “Guayana Esequiba State”, which is the name Venezuela has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region, on May 25, 2025 – a plan that was previously condemned by CariCom.

Last week, CariCom held its 49th Heads of Government Conference in Jamaica, where regional leaders were updated on the latest developments regarding the Guyana-Venezuela controversy.
“They noted that although Venezuela purported to have held elections on 25 May 2025 for a ‘Governor’ and ‘Legislative Council’ in the so-called ‘Guayana Esequiba State’, in defiance of the May 1, 2025 order of the International Court of Justice, in fact no elections were held by Venezuela in the Essequibo region of Guyana,” a communique from the regional bloc detailed.
Against this backdrop, the CariCom leaders encouraged Caracas to submit its rejoinder, the final written pleading in the case, by August 11, 2025, in compliance with the scheduling order of the ICJ.
“Heads of Government reiterated their full support for the ongoing judicial process as the means for resolving the controversy peacefully, finally and in accordance with international law,” the statement added.
It went on to say too that the Caribbean leaders also “…reiterated and underscored their unequivocal and unwavering support for the maintenance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.”

Venezuela is claiming more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the resource-rich Essequibo region – and a portion of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) have been found and production as well as other exploration activities are currently being undertaken offshore.
After years of failed good offices processes through the United Nations and based on the recommendation of the then UN Secretary-General, Guyana approached the ICJ in March 2019, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award that determined the boundary between the two South American neighbours.
Guyana has already filed two written pleadings on the merits, and Venezuela has filed one, with its second pleading due in August 2025. Oral hearings are expected in the first half of 2026, following which the Court will deliberate on the case and issue its final Judgement on the Merits, which will be binding on the parties.
Guyana has pledged to accept the World Court’s judgement, whatever it might be.
President Irfaan Ali had previously stated that Guyana’s case has been robustly presented before the ICJ, and the country also “successfully enjoyed widespread support for the respect for our sovereignty and territorial integrity” from the international community, including the Commonwealth and the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Continued aggression
However, despite the matter still pending before the ICJ, which had already warned Venezuela in a December 2023 order to not take any actions that would alter Guyana’s control of its territory, and the two South American neighbours signing the historic Argyle Declaration – a December 2023 peace pact – Venezuela continues to use aggressive tactics against Guyana, including the illegal elections.
In fact, the ICJ had barred Venezuela back in May from conducting any elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
On May 25 – the purported day of those so-called elections – several frontline indigenous communities at Guyana’s border with Venezuela were buzzing with patriotism, peace and calm.
Chief of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan, had told the Guyana Times that the bordering communities were largely uneventful throughout the day.
This was witnessed first-hand during a Government-organised trip to Region One (Barima-Waini), one of Guyana’s regions that shares a border with the Spanish-speaking nation. The visit was organised not just to allay fears among Guyanese over Venezuela’s threats and its spurious claims to the resource-rich Essequibo, but also to combat misinformation being peddled by Caracas.
This was proven to be necessary after Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodrigues, had falsely shared a video purporting to show persons boarding a boat to travel from Guyana across the Essequibo River into Venezuela to vote in those elections.
These actions by the Maduro regime were described by Guyana’s Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo as a sign of desperation in Caracas.
“It is dishonest and a sign of desperation when the Vice President of Venezuela has to use a fake video to support their false claims that persons are crossing the border to vote in their elections when, in fact, it was a boat operating via the Demerara River, taking passengers from Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop,” VP Jagdeo had told this publication back in May.
Moreover, earlier this year, there was an incursion into Guyana’s waters on March 1 by Venezuelan naval vessels which threatened several oil vessels operating there – something which was widely condemned by the international community, including the United States.
Weeks prior, on February 17, a heavily armed group of suspected Sindicato operatives from the Venezuelan territory opened fire on a Guyana Defence Force vessel, injuring six troops – all with gunshot wounds. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but some of the wounded soldiers had to be evacuated to Georgetown for medical treatment.