Guyana’s security forces came under fire from across the Venezuelan border on Sunday while escorting election officials and ballot boxes along the Upper Cuyuni River in Region 7, the country’s Joint Services said.
“On August 31, 2025, at approximately 14:30 hours, while escorting [Guyana Elections Commission] officials and ballot boxes along the Upper Cuyuni River in the vicinity of Bamboo, near the Guyana-Venezuela border, a Joint Services patrol came under fire from the Venezuelan shore,” their release said.
The patrol, comprising ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force, returned fire and manoeuvred out of danger. No one was injured and no election materials were damaged, according to the Joint Services statement. Nine officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) were aboard the vessels at the time.
Despite the incident, the team completed its delivery of ballot boxes to remote polling stations at Cumang Landing, Kurutuku and Dukquarie Landing, having earlier made a drop-off at Turnbung. An investigation is underway.
GECOM confirmed in a separate release that all materials for District 7 were delivered “without damage or delay” and said the incident would have “no impact on the conduct of the elections” set for September 1. The commission added that no staff were harmed and thanked the Joint Services for their operational support.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) condemned what it called an “unprovoked aggression and attack” launched from the Venezuelan shore, describing it as a direct affront to Guyana’s sovereignty and its democratic process. It praised the professionalism and courage of the security forces, saying their swift response ensured the safety of officials and safeguarded the ballot boxes.
Guyana’s Joint Services voted early in August and have been deployed today to maintain order during Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.
Venezuela claims some of Guyana’s territory and a case is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the matter. The case centers on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which legally determined the boundary between the two countries. Venezuela, after accepting the boundary for decades, declared the award null and void in 1962 and has since claimed over two-thirds of Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo region. Guyana initiated legal proceedings at the ICJ in 2018, following UN Secretary General António Guterres’ determination that judicial settlement was the best path forward. The ICJ subsequently ruled it had jurisdiction over the case in 2020, rejecting Venezuela’s objections.
One more round of oral hearings is expected before the court makes a final ruling, likely in 2026.
