Guyana’s army chief on Thursday declined to directly attribute a series of recent border skirmishes to the Venezuelan military, in the wake of reports that troops from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) came under automatic fire three times this week from armed men operating across the Cuyuni River.
“These are armed men in civilian clothing,” Chief of Staff Brigadier Omar Khan told reporters at a press briefing in Georgetown Thursday afternoon. “I do not like to tag people to a particular group.”
The attacks, described as “unprecedented” by Khan, took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, including at Baboon, an area where armed men would stop civilian boats and extort money in exchange for safe passage. The gunmen opened fire on GDF patrols in three separate incidents, prompting return fire by the soldiers, Khan said. No injuries were reported.
The skirmishes come less than two weeks before Venezuela’s planned May 25 elections, which President Nicolás Maduro has controversially extended to include Guyana’s Essequibo region.
The area, rich in natural resources, has been at the center of recent tensions between the two countries.
When pressed on whether the attacks may be part of a broader strategy by Caracas to provoke confrontation or force bilateral negotiations, Khan said he preferred not to speculate. “That is not within my realm, but that could be answered by another stakeholder.”
Khan warned of “complicated implications” for anyone in Guyana who participates in the foreign vote. “Any Guyanese participating in such an election will be arrested… Secondly, any Venezuelans living in Guyana [who] participate in such election will be arrested and deported,” he said.
Khan said the GDF has enhanced its posture and patrol drills since the first attack. Troops remain stationed at key outposts, with regular operations at the Cuyuni River, which forms part of Guyana’s western boundary. He added that details of the incidents have been shared with regional and international partners, including the Regional Security System (RSS).
The Chief of Staff maintained that despite provocations, Guyana remains committed to defending its territory while preserving peace. “This is a mission we take seriously and we will continue to patrol that same area and to eliminate any threat to our people and any incursion to our territory.”
The border controversy is at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with Guyana seeking a decision by the Court that would end Venezuela’s aggression once and for all. The case centers on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which legally determined the boundary between the two countries. After accepting the boundary for decades, Venezuela declared the award null and void in 1962 and has since claimed over two-thirds of Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo region.
