“Our land, our people” – Pres Ali declares firm commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty, security

– tells Venezuela no talks under duress

In the face of plans by Venezuela to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region later this year, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including its people.
“To Venezuela, the message is simple: Respect our sovereignty. Threaten our sovereignty, and we will resist. Guyana will not be intimidated. Guyana will not be coerced; and let me repeat for those who still doubt, we will defend every square inch of our land. We will protect every drop of water in our seas. We will safeguard every citizen of this Republic…
“This is a defining moment of our nation, and we must meet it with determination and an unbreakable spirit. We will continue to build our Defence Force. We will continue to invest in our security. We will continue to stand firm in our sovereignty, because this is our land. This is our home, and we will never surrender it,” the Guyanese Head of State declared.

He was at the time speaking at the commissioning of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Air Corps Hangar at the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
During his remarks, President Ali sent a strong message to his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, over his heightened aggression against Guyana.
This includes the recent incursion of a Venezuelan naval vessel into Guyana’s waters earlier this month.
At approximately 07:00h on Saturday, March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan Coast Guard vessel, identified as ABV Guaiquerí PO-11 (IMO 4695542), entered Guyana’s waters and approached a tanker near the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) that is operating in the Stabroek Block, Offshore Guyana.
Located within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which the Maduro regime is laying claim to, the oil-rich Stabroek Block is being operated by United States (US) oil major, ExxonMobil, which has discovered over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and is currently conducting production and other exploration activities.
During its incursion, the Venezuelan naval vessel communicated threateningly via radio communication that Prosperity was operating in Venezuela’s EEZ, before continuing in a southwestern direction towards other FPSOs in Guyana’s waters, to which it delivered the same message.
In addition to Guyana’s EEZ, Venezuela is also laying claims to two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region. In fact, the Venezuelan Government plans to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region on May 25, 2025.
Based on reports coming out of Caracas last week, Maduro has recently called for a face-to-face meeting with President Ali over the heightened tensions between the two South American countries – something which the Guyana Government has already shut down in the face of Venezuela’s blatant disregard of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to the Guyanese Leader on Friday, Guyana will not engage in any dialogue under duress.
“We believe in diplomacy, and we believe in dialogue, but not dialogue under duress. Our neighbours would have chosen on more than one occasion to violate the ICJ (International Court of Justice) orders and also the Argyle Declaration. The very fact that they would seek to hold elections in territory which does not belong to them, tells you that they are not serious about dialogue. They are not serious about the Argyle Declaration, and we will not be drawn into any discourse under duress,” President Ali contended.
The Argyle Declaration is a December 14, 2023 peace pact that Presidents Ali and Maduro signed to maintain peace in the Latin America and Caribbean region. This signing was done during the historic CARICOM/CELAC/Brazil-brokered meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
President Ali has already informed regional leaders including the Argyle Interlocutor, St Vincent Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves, of his position regarding meeting with the Venezuelan Leader.
On Tuesday, PM Gonsalves travelled to Caracas to meet with Maduro over the latter’s continued acts of provocation against Guyana. It was further indicated, via a statement issued by the St Vincent Government on Tuesday, that PM Gonsalves also spoke to President Ali on Monday, presumably via phone, to urge calm and restraint.
Moreover, the ICJ had also issued orders in December 2023, barring Venezuela from any aggression towards Guyana. But in light of the Spanish-speaking nation’s plans to hold elections in Essequibo, Guyana has asked the Court to block that action.
In its March 6 request, the Guyana Government informed the ICJ, which is currently hearing a case to settle the decades-long the border controversy between the two South American neighbours, that such actions by Venezuela “flagrantly violate” the provisional measures issued by the court in December 2023.
Only earlier this week, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd told the Guyana Times that the World Court has given Venezuela until the end of March to explain its recent actions.
Nevertheless, President Ali pointed out on Friday that while Guyana believes in dialogue, this must be done with respect and trust.
“This is not just about Guyana. This is about respect for borders, for sovereignty, and for the rule of law… So therefore, if Venezuela wants to talk, let it first undo the acts that have violated the Argyle Declaration and the orders of the ICJ. Let it first demonstrate what faith is. Let it first respect the rule of law. Until then, there will be no talks. Sovereignty is not a matter for negotiation,” the Guyanese Head of State declared.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has already made it clear that any Guyanese found supporting efforts by the Maduro regime to appoint a Governor and other leaders in its Guyana’s Essequibo region will be charged with treason – something which VP Jagdeo reaffirmed during Thursday’s press conference.