CARICOM calls on Venezuela to arrest perpetrators of attacks on Guyanese security forces

Following a series of attacks on members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) over the past few months, Caribbean leaders are now calling on the Venezuelan Government to arrest the perpetrators.
This was one of the outcomes from the recent 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, last week.
“The Heads expressed concern over the fact that Venezuela’s territory was being used to attack Guyanese security personnel who are operating within Guyana’s sovereign territory and expressed their expectation that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will apprehend the perpetrators and place them before the judicial authorities in Venezuela,” a joint communiqué on the high-level regional engagement detailed.

This call from the regional leaders comes on the heels of isolated attacks on the Guyanese military as well as civilians while traversing the Cuyuni River, which borders the neighbouring Spanish-speaking nation.
Only on May 29, a GDF officer was shot and injured during an exchange of gunfire along the Cuyuni River while performing a border security operation.
It was reported that a GDF patrol, escorting civilian commuters in accordance with established operational procedures, came under hostile fire from the Venezuelan shore. The patrol responded in keeping with operational protocols and successfully ensured the safe passage of all civilians.
However, one rank was injured during the incident and was immediately administered first aid before being medically evacuated (MEDEVAC) to Georgetown for further treatment.
That incident was the second attack record that month. On May 4, GDF troops patrolling the Cuyuni River came under gunfire from unknown persons from Venezuela’s side, resulting in at least one soldier sustaining two gunshot wounds to his leg.
During a May 22 press conference, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, had told Guyana Times that additional security assets have been deployed along the country’s western border with Venezuela.
“We have two new assets and other assets that we are deploying to further enhance security there. But we are confident about protecting our sovereignty and our borders,” the Head of State told this newspaper, while adding that Guyana is also responding to the attacks with a blend of diplomacy, intelligence, and enhanced military readiness.
“We have addressed this with our allies. We have addressed this diplomatically with Venezuela. We have addressed this from a national security standpoint. We have placed greater assets… We are using our intelligence and information from allies to see whether there is a pattern and whether it was linked to particular circumstances,” President Ali had noted.
Tensions between Guyana and Venezuela escalated throughout 2025 due to multiple armed attacks in the Cuyuni region. The incidents involved Venezuelan-based armed men firing upon Guyanese military patrols and personnel, including those escorting election officials.

In February of last year, armed Venezuelan men attacked a GDF patrol boat on the Cuyuni River, injuring six soldiers. The GDF returned fire, and the attackers retreated. In May 2025, armed men from the Venezuelan shore launched three separate attacks on GDF troops conducting riverine patrols; no Guyanese soldiers were injured during these attacks.
Then last August, a Guyanese Joint Services patrol escorting election officials and ballot boxes was fired upon from the Venezuelan side of the Upper Cuyuni River. No one was harmed, and the team successfully completed its mission.
These attacks come as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to deliver a ruling on the decades-old border controversy case between the two neighbouring South American nations.
Venezuela has been making spurious claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region and a portion of the country’s 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 ongoing.
Back in 2018, Guyana approached the World Court, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which establishes the boundaries with Venezuela. After years of hearing from both sides, which concluded in May, the ICJ is now deliberating on its decision – likely to be delivered later this year or early 2027.

Unequivocal and unwavering support
In fact, during last week’s CARICOM meeting, regional leaders were updated on the latest developments in the Guyana-Venezuela controversy. They noted that the public hearings on the merits in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 were held in May and comprised two rounds of oral argument by Guyana and Venezuela.
Heads of Government further noted that the Court will in due course deliver its judgement on the matter, which will be final and binding on both parties, thus bringing the longstanding search for a resolution of the controversy to an end.
“Heads of Government reaffirmed their full support for the ongoing judicial process as the means for resolving the controversy peacefully, finally and in accordance with international law, and reiterated their unequivocal and unwavering support for the maintenance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” the communique stated.
Meanwhile, despite the aggression from Venezuela, Guyana has shown solidarity with its western neighbour following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes on June 24, which caused extensive damage near the country’s capital.
In fact, Guyana coordinated a regional humanitarian response, sending a shipment with 88 containers of various relief supplies to Venezuela last week, including donations from several other CARICOM nations.