The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has confirmed that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves traveled to Venezuela to meet with President Nicolás Maduro amid escalating tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the ongoing border dispute.
Dr. Gonsalves, who serves as an interlocutor of the Argyle Declaration between the two nations, departed for Venezuela on Monday evening and is expected to hold discussions with Maduro today.
In a statement, the St. Vincent government emphasized that Gonsalves had earlier spoken with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, urging both sides to exercise restraint and return to diplomatic dialogue. He cautioned that any escalation into open conflict could have dire economic and social consequences for both countries and destabilize the wider Latin American and Caribbean region, potentially triggering a humanitarian and refugee crisis.
The diplomatic intervention comes in response to a recent incursion by a Venezuelan naval vessel into Guyanese waters, where the crew reportedly questioned the captains of oil exploration ships, falsely claiming the area belonged to Venezuela. Guyana responded by deploying aerial and sea surveillance and alerted the international community to what it described as an act of aggression. The United States, United Kingdom, France, CARICOM, the Commonwealth, and the Organization of American States (OAS) have since condemned Venezuela’s actions.
Dr. Gonsalves, in a separate statement, affirmed that the oil vessels were operating within Guyana’s waters. However, he acknowledged that tensions between the two nations are likely to persist even after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its final ruling on the dispute. Guyana has taken its case to the ICJ, seeking to validate the 1899 arbitral award that established its current borders.
Tensions briefly eased in December 2023 when Presidents Ali and Maduro met in St. Vincent under Gonsalves’ mediation, leading to the signing of the Argyle Declaration. The agreement committed both nations to renounce the use of force and resolve their dispute through peaceful means. That same month, the ICJ issued provisional measures barring Venezuela from taking any action to alter the status quo in the disputed Essequibo region.
However, Guyana has since accused Venezuela of violating both the ICJ order and the Argyle Declaration by continuing its claims over Essequibo, planning local elections for the region, and sending its naval forces into Guyanese waters.
In response, President Ali has ruled out any further direct meetings with Maduro, citing Venezuela’s continued provocations.
As Dr. Gonsalves meets with Maduro in Caracas, regional leaders are closely watching whether his latest diplomatic push can defuse tensions and steer both nations back toward a peaceful resolution.
