Venezuela border controversy: Govt grateful as US reaffirms strong support for Guyana – VP

The Government of Guyana has once again received strong backing from the United States (US) in its ongoing border controversy with Venezuela. On Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo expressed gratitude for the continued support of the US Government in defending Guyana’s sovereignty over the Essequibo region.
“We are grateful for the support of the US Government in reaffirming its strong support on the Venezuela border issue,” Jagdeo stated.
Dr Jagdeo was at the time responding to questions regarding a recent executive order by US President Donald Trump to freeze nearly all foreign aid, including those being provided to Guyana by the United States Agency for Inter-national Development (USAID).
Contrary to messages being touted in the media, signaling that the said order with affect Guyana, the Vice President has clarified that there have been no reports of any frozen aid to Guyana or any policy changes affecting the country.
“We have not received any report about this, any aid being frozen to Guyana nor it affecting us.

And I spoke with the President earlier today and also Ashni Singh so, there is no such report at this point in time about any of their policy globally affecting Guyana. In fact, in the conversation that President Ali had with the Secretary of State, they spoke about enhanced cooperation between the two countries and various areas, including in the energy sector,” he added.
On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they discussed enhanced cooperation between the two nations, including collaboration in the energy sector.
The US State Department confirmed that during their call, Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the US’s unwavering support for Guyana’s territorial integrity in the face of escalating tensions with Venezuela.
This comes in response to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s move to claim Guyana’s Essequibo region. On January 7, 2025, Maduro announced the election of a “Governor of Guayana Esequiba,” a move condemned by the Guyanese Government as a direct violation of the Argyle Agreement signed in December 2023.
Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had expressed grave concern over Venezuela’s actions, labeling them a “flagrant violation” of international law and a direct breach of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) binding order from December 2023. The order explicitly stated that both Guyana and Venezuela must avoid escalating tensions or taking unilateral actions that could complicate the resolution process.
Guyana continues to uphold its commitment to international law and the rule of law through the ICJ. The country recently submitted its final written brief in its ongoing legal case against Venezuela. Carl Greenidge, Guyana’s agent before the ICJ, has projected that a ruling could be possible by 2026.
The border controversary has drawn significant international attention, with the United Nations (UN) referring the matter to the ICJ in 2018 after diplomatic negotiations failed to yield a resolution. Guyana is seeking a final and binding judgment reaffirming that the Essequibo region legally belongs to the country, reinforcing the 1899 ruling.
Earlier in January 2025, Carl Greenidge, Guyana’s agent before ICJ as it adjudicates the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy, believes a ruling on the issue would be possible by next year, since the major substantive issues have already been put to the court for consideration.
During a recent webinar, Greenidge, in giving his projections for the case, said that having submitted its final written reply to Venezuela’s counter-memorial, Guyana awaits August 2025, when Venezuela is expected to respond with a rejoinder. According to Greenidge, the process is unlikely to last much longer after that, barring follow-up questions from the panel of judges, since both parties have already presented the major issues to the court for consideration.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, meanwhile, swore himself in as President in January, despite widespread claims that he actually lost last year’s election. (G1)