Today, Venezuela, under the dictatorial rule of Nicolas Maduro will be conducting gubernational, National Assembly and regional elections that are constitutionally due. However, for us in Guyana, the greatest interest is in the elections purportedly for the new, 24th state of “Guayana Esequiba” that was created out of thin air by legislative fiat on March 21 last year, following a stage-managed referendum on the issue on December 2nd 2023. These Guayana Esequiba “elections” is the latest in a long series of provocations in Maduro’s relentless campaign to annex our county of Essequibo out of his idiosyncratic interpretation of the Geneva Agreement that governs the methodology of dealing with the Border Controversy Venezuela created in1962. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), to which we have taken the Controversy, has ruled it has jurisdiction competence through the Geneva Agreement, and has issued a demand to Maduro to suspend the “elections”. The latter, while rejecting the ICJ’s jurisdiction even as it made submissions, has also rejected the Court’s order.
Maduro’s campaign has been described by one commentator as a “hybrid war” that combines the threat of an outright kinetic war through several provocative military moves threatening an invasion of our territory, with the above-mentioned domestic “legal” initiatives. The military tactics involve the building of a bridge to the island of Ankoko, which had been divided equally between Venezuela and us in the 1899 Arbitral Award but was forcibly seized by the former in 1966. The bridge was to facilitate the logistical supply of munitions and troops on the island which had been augmented in the last few years. In February and earlier this month, there were attacks on our GDF soldiers by armed gunmen from Venezuela in a clear attempt to intimidate us.
In terms of the elections, six deputies, a governor, and 10 regional legislators are supposed to be elected for Guayana Esequiba. The key question in our country has been where would the voting take place and who would constitute the voting population since there has been no record of any voters registered, or polling stations established in the territory of Essequibo. However, VenezuelanAnalysis, a reputable leftist website, claims that it was informed by Venezuelan “electoral spokespeople(that) some 21 thousand citizens are registered as Essequibo residents and (are) eligible to vote in polling stations set up in Bolívar state.”
President Ali and his government have reiterated an earlier announcement by the Chief of Staff of the GDF, who was inspecting the border communities, that “If anyone participates or takes any similar action, it will amount to support for a passive coup,” and that such persons would be arrested and deported. One such person, who suggested such participation by Guyanese, has been arrested and charged with “inciting treason” and faces life imprisonment if convicted.
On Friday, the National Assembly recalled a 2023 Motion that had been unanimously passed by the Opposition and Government, which reaffirmed the recognition of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the 1966 Geneva Agreement. Very comprehensively it, “Unequivocally reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and indissolubility of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana; Strongly condemns the actions of the Government of Venezuela in defiance of the May 1, 2025 Order of the ICJ, and views such actions as a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace and stability; Expresses its full support for the Government of Guyana in its efforts to protect and defend Guyana’s territorial integrity through peaceful and lawful means, including continued recourse to the International Court of Justice
“Calls upon the international community to support Guyana in upholding the rule of law and the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice; Directs that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community as well as other relevant international bodies.”
Unfortunately, this time, the Opposition quibbled over procedural matters and walked out before the vote.
