CARICOM warns member states against legitimising Venezuela’s claims to Essequibo

Apr 29, 2026 News

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…reaffirms support for Guyana 

(Kaieteur News) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Tuesday cautioned Member States against being used to push claims that are before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

CARICOM’s statement followed President Irfaan Ali’s formal complaint to the body about Venezuela’s President Delcy Rodriguez wearing a brooch that includes the Essequibo on official visits to Grenada and Barbados this month.

President Ali in a formal protest wrote CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Chairman and Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew, describing the acts by the Venezuelan leader as a “calculated and provocative assertion” that threatens to undermine Caribbean unity.

The Guyanese leader said while Guyana fully respects the sovereign right of CARICOM Member States to conduct bilateral relations with all partners, including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, it is “deeply regrettable that such engagements have been accompanied by the prominent display of symbols asserting Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory.”

“The use of CARICOM engagements to project or promote a territorial claim against a Member State risks being interpreted as acquiescence or tolerance. No action, whether deliberate or inadvertent, should create the impression that the Community’s platforms may be used to advance claims now before the International Court of Justice. CARICOM’s principled support for Guyana must be reflected not only in declarations, but also in the context and conduct of official engagements,” the president said.

Hours later, CARICOM in response said that it has taken note of the engagements and President Ali’s letter on Tuesday and reaffirmed that each Member State retains the sovereign right to conduct bilateral relations with external partners.

“This principle is well established and respected within the Community. Those engagements are conducted in a manner consistent with the shared obligations and collective commitments of CARICOM.”

Notwithstanding, CARICOM said that “it underscores that Community platforms and engagements should not be used, whether directly or indirectly, to advance or appear to legitimise claims that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings before the International Court of Justice.”

Additionally, the statement issued by the CARICOM Secretariat pointed to the commitments made under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas – the binding legal instrument that defines the Community, its objectives, and the conduct expected of its Member States.

“The Treaty commits Members to the preservation of the Community’s integrity and cohesion in their external relations,” CARICOM said while maintaining “the Community’s longstanding and unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana, and for the peaceful resolution of the controversy through the Court remains firm and unchanged.”

CARICOM said too that it remains committed to unity, to the rule of law, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.

The ICJ will on May 4 begin several days of oral hearings on the merits of Guyana’s case against Venezuela on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award.

Guyana instituted the case in March 2018, following a determination by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres that the ICJ was the appropriate mechanism for resolving the longstanding controversy between the two countries.

Guyana is seeking the court’s confirmation that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, is legally valid and remains binding on both states under international law.

Although Venezuela recognised the validity of the award and accepted the established boundary for more than 60 years, it reversed its position on the eve of Guyana’s Independence, rejected the Award, and asserted a claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, encompassing the Essequibo Region.

Venezuela previously sought to have the case dismissed, filing two objections to the court’s jurisdiction in 2019 and 2022, respectively. Both objections were rejected by the court by overwhelming majorities. Venezuela’s non-recognition of the tribunal award means that it continues to lay claim to the 160,000 square kilometre mineral and forest-rich Essequibo Region and Guyana’s exclusive economic zone off that region.

In December 2023, following Guyana’s request prompted by Venezuela’s threats to seize and annex Guyana’s territory, the ICJ ordered both parties to refrain from any actions that could disturb Guyana’s administration and control of the disputed territory while the case remains pending.

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• CARICOM, Essequibo, International Court of Justice, Venezuela

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