Guyana objects to Venezuela’s map display, cautions CARICOM on territorial claims
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has formally written to CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, strongly protesting the public display by Venezuela’s Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, of a map falsely depicting Guyana’s Essequibo region as Venezuelan territory during official engagements in CARICOM member states.
In his April 28, 2026, letter, President Ali described the act as a calculated provocation and warned that regional platforms must never be used to project or legitimise Venezuela’s unlawful claim to Guyana’s sovereign territory.
The President underscored that while Guyana respects the sovereign right of CARICOM member states to maintain bilateral relations with international partners, including Venezuela, it considers the use of such engagements to advance territorial claims against a fellow member state wholly unacceptable.
“The use of CARICOM engagements to project or promote a territorial claim against a Member State risk 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,” President Ali stated.
President Ali stressed that the issue extends far beyond symbolism, describing Venezuela’s actions as part of a deliberate strategy to normalise a claim currently before the International Court of Justice.
“This is not a matter of symbolism alone. 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,” the President wrote.
President Ali reminded the CARICOM Chairman that Guyana’s position remains firmly grounded in international law, with the 1899 Arbitral Award having conclusively settled the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela as a “full, perfect and final settlement.”
He also pointed to the December 1, 2023, Order of the International Court of Justice, which directed Venezuela not to take any action that would alter the current situation in the disputed territory, where Guyana continues to administer and exercise full control.
The head of state further called for continued vigilance from CARICOM in safeguarding its longstanding principled support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that this position was most recently reaffirmed at the Fiftieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.
Reaffirming Guyana’s unwavering confidence in the judicial process, President Ali said the country remains fully committed to a peaceful resolution of the controversy in accordance with international law, while expecting all states to refrain from provocative actions that could undermine the court process.