President Dr. Irfaan Ali has formally lodged a complaint with the current CARICOM Chairman over Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez wearing a brooch depicting a map that includes Guyana’s disputed Essequibo Region during official engagements with Caribbean leaders.
In a letter addressed to St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrence Drew, President Ali expressed grave concern over what he described as a “calculated and provocative assertion” of Venezuela’s territorial claim against Guyana.
The controversial brooch was most recently spotted during Rodriguez’s meeting with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, sparking widespread criticism from Guyanese citizens and officials.
President Ali emphasized that while Guyana respects CARICOM member states’ rights to maintain bilateral relations with Venezuela, the prominent display of symbols asserting claims to Guyanese territory during these engagements is deeply troubling.
“The use of CARICOM engagements to project or promote a territorial claim against a Member State risks being interpreted as acquiescence or tolerance,” Ali wrote, warning that such actions undermine the community’s principled support for Guyana’s sovereignty.
The Guyanese leader stressed that the Essequibo dispute is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for final adjudication. He argued that Venezuela’s use of maps, symbols, and other displays attempts to normalize claims that have not been established in law.
President Ali referenced the ICJ’s December 1, 2023 order, which required Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would modify the current situation in the disputed territory, where Guyana maintains administrative control.
Guyana maintains that its boundary was definitively settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, which it considers a “full, perfect and final settlement.” Venezuela’s revival of territorial claims decades later, along with recent measures purporting to annex the Essequibo and appoint officials for the region, have been characterized by Guyana as inconsistent with international law.
President Ali called on Prime Minister Drew and fellow CARICOM heads of government to maintain vigilance in safeguarding the community’s position on the matter. He noted that CARICOM leaders have repeatedly and unequivocally supported Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, most recently at the Fiftieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.
The president reiterated Guyana’s commitment to peaceful resolution through the ICJ process while calling on all states, including Venezuela, to respect the ongoing judicial proceedings and refrain from provocative actions.
