Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali has expressed “grave concern” over the public display of a brooch worn by Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez that featured a map of Venezuela including Guyana’s Essequibo Region, during recent diplomatic meetings with Caribbean leaders.
In a letter dated April 28 and addressed to CARICOM Chairman and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, Ali said Guyana respects the sovereign right of CARICOM member states to engage bilaterally with partners, including Venezuela. However, he warned that such engagements should not be accompanied by symbols asserting territorial claims over Guyana.
“Guyana fully respects the sovereign right of CARICOM Member States to conduct bilateral relations with all partners, including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” Ali wrote. “However, it is deeply regrettable that such engagements have been accompanied by the prominent display of symbols asserting Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory.”
Rodríguez held talks with Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell in St. George’s on April 9, and later met with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley. She said her regional visits were aimed at strengthening ties between Venezuela and Caribbean nations.
The diplomatic tension comes amid Guyana’s ongoing territorial dispute with Venezuela over the Essequibo Region, which Caracas claims despite it being administered by Georgetown.
Guyana’s Education Minister Priya Manickchand also criticized the engagements, questioning CARICOM solidarity in a social media post. She said it was troubling for regional leaders to meet Venezuelan officials while symbols asserting claims over Guyana’s territory were visibly displayed.
“Principle is principle. It shouldn’t be cowardly. And it shouldn’t be convenient,” she wrote.
In his letter, President Ali warned that allowing CARICOM platforms to be used in ways that could be interpreted as tolerance of Venezuela’s claim risks undermining the bloc’s longstanding position supporting Guyana’s sovereignty.
“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,” he wrote, stressing that CARICOM’s support must be reflected not only in statements but also in diplomatic conduct.
Ali further described the display of territorial symbols as a “calculated and provocative assertion” of a claim that Guyana has consistently rejected and that is now before international adjudication.
The dispute over Essequibo is currently before the International Court of Justice, where hearings on the merits are scheduled to begin May 4. Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall said proceedings are expected to run from May 4–8, with the possibility of extending into the following week.
Guyana initiated the case in 2018, seeking confirmation that the 1899 Arbitral Award—which established the boundary between the two countries—is legally binding. Venezuela rejected the ruling in 1962 and later revived its claim to the territory.
The matter is being heard under the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which outlines mechanisms for peaceful resolution. After bilateral talks failed, the dispute was referred to the ICJ by the United Nations Secretary-General. The court has already ruled that it has jurisdiction.
Ali emphasized that while the case is before the court, neither party should take actions that could aggravate the dispute or alter the status quo, referencing a 2023 ICJ order requiring restraint from both sides.
“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 wrote.
Guyana reiterated that the 1899 award was a “full, perfect and final settlement” of the boundary and said Venezuela’s more recent actions—including administrative measures over the disputed territory—run counter to international law and the ongoing judicial process.
Ali concluded by urging CARICOM leaders to remain vigilant in upholding the bloc’s consistent support for Guyana’s sovereignty and to ensure all states respect the court process and refrain from provocation while the case proceeds.
