President Irfaan Ali has once again called on the Venezuelan government to respect Guyana’s internationally recognised borders, warning that while Guyana remains committed to peace, it will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty.
“We love you, the people of Venezuela, as our neighbours. But do not make the mistake to cross the fence. Don’t cross the fence,” the president said on Friday, during the commissioning of a $1.2 billion water treatment plant in Region Two.
President Ali stressed that Guyana’s boundaries were definitively settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the land border between then British Guiana and Venezuela. He made it clear that any breach of those boundaries would be firmly resisted.
“We are peaceful people, but we are not weak people,” Ali said. “We are strongly united, and our bodies are sealed together in unity. Our blood flows together in one constant beat, on the one heart.”
With renewed tensions flaring over Venezuela’s longstanding claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region—a matter now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)—Ali reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to defending the country’s territorial integrity.
The president also invoked the national motto, One People, One Nation, One Destiny, describing it as a symbol of Guyana’s deep national pride and unity.
He pointed to the thousands of Venezuelans who have sought and received refuge in Guyana in recent years, saying their presence underscores Guyana’s humanity—but not at the expense of its sovereignty.
“To our Venezuelan brothers and sisters who are welcome within the borders of our world-class country, you have a right and a duty to honour [and] to respect the laws of Guyana. You have a duty not to do anything that would dishonour the 83,000 square miles of our power,” he said.
The president’s firm remarks drew strong applause from the crowd gathered for the ceremony, as he reiterated that while Guyana remains a peaceful nation, it must not be mistaken for weak.
