“You have nothing to fear…we will protect and defend our sovereign space” – Pres Ali to Guyanese

…says GDF mobilised to protect Guyana’s sovereignty, territorial integrity

President Dr Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is mobilised and prepared to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing tensions with Venezuela.

The Head of State emphasised that security operations are actively underway, particularly in light of Venezuela’s upcoming unlawful elections and continued claims over Guyana’s Essequibo region, claims which Guyana has consistently rejected and challenged at the International Court of Justice.
His remarks were delivered at the sidelines of the 39th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, currently underway in Georgetown.
“We ask Venezuela to respect international law, but we are not sitting back. I want to assure all Guyanese that the Guyana Defence Force, the government, and every stakeholder are putting everything in place to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana is always protected and safeguarded,” President Ali said.
Meanwhile, when asked about whether the border is being monitored more closely ahead of Venezuela’s election, President Ali responded, “Definitely. I can’t go into details, but I can assure you that we, along with our partners, are engaged in continuous analysis and monitoring, especially in areas close to the borders.”
Further, addressing residents living along Guyana’s border regions, the President offered reassurance and a message of calm stating, “My message is very clear to all citizens of Guyana and those living in the territory of Guyana — you have nothing to fear. You are living in what is our sovereign space, and we are going to protect and ensure that our sovereign space is respected by all.”
The president’s remarks follow the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recent order that Venezuela must refrain from conducting or preparing to conduct elections Guyana’s Essequibo region.
Act responsibly
A day after the order was issued, the Guyana Government had expressed its expectation that Venezuela will act responsibly and comply with the recent orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), refraining the Spanish-speaking nation from holding elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
“The Government of Guyana expects that the Government of Venezuela will act responsibly in complying with the Court’s Orders of both 1 December 2023 and 1 May 2025 which are legally binding on both States, and in so complying, fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Georgetown said in a statement.
Back in January, the Nicolás Maduro regime had announced plans to hold elections in the Essequibo region, which is two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass, on May 25, 2025 – something which Guyana wrote the ICJ in March to have blocked.
The World Court, which is hearing the case to settle the decades-long border controversy, issued an order recently that Venezuela must refrain from conducting or preparing to conduct elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
It also reaffirmed the provisional measures issued by the Court on December 1, 2023, which states that “…Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area; and (2) Both Parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.”

No intention
However, the Venezuelan Government had said no international pressure or foreign court could make it back down; and called on Guyana to engage in direct negotiation and comply with the Geneva Agreement.
In response to Caracas, the Foreign Ministry called Venezuela’s reaction to the additional provisional measures issued by the World Court “unfortunate” and shut down, once again, any idea of bilateral talks between the two neighbouring states.
“The Government of Guyana further wishes to remind the Government of Venezuela that it has no intention of entering into bilateral negotiations with Venezuela regarding Venezuela’s claim of nullity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and by extension, its claim to almost two thirds of Guyana’s territory,” the missive from Takuba Lodge outlined.
In fact, the Foreign Ministry went onto remind Venezuela that the case pending before the ICJ is a decision of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General in accordance with the 1966 Geneva Agreement on the settlement of the controversy – an Agreement to which both Guyana and Venezuela are parties.
According to the Foreign Ministry, “The Court’s judgment will be definitive, final and binding on Guyana and Venezuela. The Government of Guyana urges the Government of Venezuela to do more than pay lip service to the Geneva Agreement, and to actually comply with its provisions, including but not limited to Article IV (2). Essequibo is Guyana’s.”
After years of failed good offices process through the UN, and based on the recommendation of the-then UN Secretary General, Guyana approached the World Court in March 2018, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which determined the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
The case is currently pending before the ICJ, which has already established its jurisdiction to hear the matter. Guyana has already filed two written pleadings on the merits, and Venezuela has filed one, with its second pleading due in August 2025. Oral hearings are expected in the first half of 2026, following which the Court will deliberate on the case and issue its final judgment on the Merits, which will be binding on the parties.
Guyana and Venezuela signed the Argyle Declaration – a December 14, 2023 pact, but despite this Venezuela continues to use aggressive tactics against Guyana, including plans to unlawfully elect a Governor and legislative council of “Guayana Esequiba State”, which is the name the Spanish-speaking nation has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region.
In its Thursday, May 1, 2025 Orders, The Hague, Netherlands-based World Court stated that, “…Pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from conducting elections, or preparing to conduct elections, in the territory in dispute, which the Co-operative Republic of Guyana currently administers and over which it exercises control …[And] Unanimously, reaffirms the provisional measures indicated in its Order of 1 December 2023, which should be immediately and effectively implemented…”