‘Don’t be used in Venezuela’s Essequibo push’ – Pres. Ali warns CARICOM

Apr 29, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday, expressed grave concern over the Venezuela’s President Delcy Rodriguez’s wearing of a brooch that includes Guyana’s Essequibo Region as part of her country while on official visits to Grenada, and Barbados.

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.

Further, the head-of-state made it clear that the matter is not one of symbolism alone. He stated that “it is a calculated and provocative assertion of a claim that Guyana has consistently and lawfully rejected, and which is before the International Court of Justice for final adjudication.”

“Venezuela cannot, while the case is before the Court, seek to normalise by symbols, maps, legislation, appointments or official display what it has failed to establish in law. Such conduct does not strengthen Venezuela’s case; it undermines confidence in its stated commitment to peaceful settlement, international law, and good neighbourly relations,” he said.

Ali argued that allowing such displays during official CARICOM engagements risks being interpreted as regional “acquiescence or tolerance” of Venezuela’s claims. He reminded the community that the 1899 Arbitral Award settled the boundary as a “full, perfect, and final settlement.”

President Ali maintained that Venezuela’s current conduct “undermines confidence in its stated commitment to peaceful settlement.” He called on CARICOM to ensure that its principled support for Guyana is reflected not just in declarations, but in the “context and conduct of official engagements.”

Meanwhile, Guyanese have been outraged by the presence of the Essequibo on the Venezuelan President’s brooch. The Private Sector Commission (PSC) categorised the incidents as “symbolic aggression” designed to test international resolve.

“The Private Sector Commission of Guyana expresses its strongest condemnation and deep concern at the deliberate and provocative display of imagery by a senior Venezuelan official depicting Guyana’s Essequibo region as part of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela during a recent high-level regional engagement in Barbados,” the private sector body said in a statement on Monday.

The PSC said that the Venezuelan leader’s actions are “neither incidental nor benign”.

“It is unacceptable within the framework of international law and responsible diplomacy, and is particularly troubling when it occurs within the territory of Barbados. The PSC views this latest incident as a form of symbolic aggression intended to influence perception, shape narratives, and test international resolve, risking the undermining of regional stability, the erosion of trust, and the weakening of the principles of peaceful dispute resolution.”

Further, the PSC reminded that Guyana’s position is clear and unwavering: Essequibo is Guyana’s. “It is administered by Guyana, populated by Guyanese citizens, developed by Guyana, and protected under international law. Venezuela’s continued actions, including the creation of a so-called “Guayana Esequiba” state and attempts to project authority over Guyanese territory, are illegal, provocative, and contrary to both the orders of the International Court of Justice and the commitments outlined in the Argyle Declaration.”

The body called on CARICOM and all regional and international partners “to remain vigilant and unequivocal in their support for the rule of law.”

“Silence or inaction in the face of such deliberate provocation risks emboldening further escalation.

Guyana’s Private Sector stands resolutely with the Government and people of Guyana. Our economic stability, investment climate, and national development depend on the inviolability of our borders and respect for international law. These principles are not negotiable. Essequibo belongs to Guyana,” the statement concluded.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand offered a more pointed critique of regional allies, suggesting that principles should not be “cowardly” or “convenient.”

On her Facebook page, the minister questioned the sincerity of leaders who entertain guests openly disrespecting Guyanese sovereignty while the legal adjudication at the ICJ is ongoing.

“CARICOM leaders claiming to be our friends AND benefitting from that friendship even as they entertain their other friends who are completely disrespecting Guyana by openly claiming 2/3 of my country and sporting that on a visible piece of Jewellery even as that matter is being adjudicated in the ICJ, has me questioning our friendships and the principles of these CARICOM leaders. Principle is principle. It shouldn’t be cowardly. And it shouldn’t be convenient,” Minister Manickchand said.

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• CARICOM, Delcy Rodriguez, Essequibo, Venezuela

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