Border Controversy with Venezuela: ‘Every inch of our land, EEZ, will and must remain with the people of Guyana’ – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed the commitment of the Guyana Government to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, declaring that every inch of Guyana’s land and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will and must remain with the people of Guyana.

The Head of State made these remarks during his Address to the Nation on Saturday evening, at the national flag-raising ceremony to usher in Guyana’s 55th Republic Anniversary.
President Ali, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, outlined that efforts to defend Guyana’s territorial integrity have been paramount. He pointed to the selfless acts of the men and women in uniform, who have consistently demonstrated their sacrifices, their strength of character, and their commitment to national duty and to the people of Guyana.
These traits, he added, were recently on display when several soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) came under attack by suspected ‘sindicato’ operatives near the border with Venezuela.
“Only recently, we have seen the pride, we’ve seen the confidence and we have seen the skills, and also the commitment, of our soldiers on our border locations; and tonight, I want us to applaud all those who are serving on our borders, those who are keeping us safe and those who are sacrificing time from their own families to ensure that all of us, all of Guyana, remain safe, and that our territorial integrity – every inch of the land that belongs to Guyana, every inch of our exclusive economic zone, will and must remain with the people of Guyana; this generation, and all the generations to come,” the Guyanese leader declared.
President Ali’s statement comes amidst Venezuela’s claims of more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass in the Essequibo region and a portion of its EEZ, where an excess of 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels have been discovered over the past nearly 10 years.
Guyana has moved to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a final and binding ruling of the 1899 Arbitral Award that determined the boundary between the two South American neighbours.

Widespread support
According to the Head of State, Guyana has robustly presented its case before the World Court and has also “successfully enjoyed widespread support for the respect for our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In fact, this support was demonstrated only on Friday last when the current Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley condemned the recent attack on the Guyanese soldiers whilst they were navigating the country’s waters near the border with Venezuela.
The 15-member regional bloc on Friday wrapped up the 48th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Barbados, where leaders gathered to discuss key issues over a three-day period.
“A statement will go out condemning the shootings, as well as continuing to express solidarity with Guyana,” Mottley said when asked about CARICOM’s response to the recent attack, at a closing press conference on Friday.
On Monday last, a heavily armed group of suspected sindicato operatives from the Venezuelan territory opened fire on a GDF 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.
The injured soldiers include Second Lieutenant Ansel Murray (head), Sergeant Kevon Davis (foot and ankle), Corporals Andrew Fraser (abdomen and shoulder), Kevin Henry (left arm and shoulder), Lance Corporal Travis Yorrick (thigh), and Private Ezron Samuel (abdomen).
President Ali, who was also at Friday’s CARICOM press conference, has already said that the attack is being taken seriously and that an evaluation is underway.

He told reporters in Georgetown last Tuesday that once the evaluation is completed, security officials in Guyana will discuss a posture that is important for the protection “of our men and women in uniform and also our sovereignty”.
In addition, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, has since summoned Venezuela’s Ambassador to register Guyana’s outrage and demand redress. He also made it clear that Guyana is fully prepared to exercise its rights under international law to hold Venezuela accountable for the attack.
Meanwhile, as investigation into the attack continues, Guyana has received reports that at least one member of the sindicato gang has died.
With regards to the case before the ICJ, Guyana submitted its final written reply to Venezuela’s counter-memorial in December 2024, pointing out that the Spanish-speaking nation’s case is without merit and that ultimately, the court will confirm the 1899 award as valid and legally binding.
In the merits phase of the case, Guyana’s Memorial was submitted on April 8, 2023, and Venezuela’s Counter-Memorial was made one year later on April 8, 2024. Now with Guyana’s Reply filed on December 9 as set out by the ICJ, Venezuela will have the opportunity to respond with its Rejoinder, due on August 8, 2025.
It was previously reported that the ICJ will, in due time, set a date for the oral hearings between Guyana and Venezuela to commence.