Guyana’s Agent in the Border Case with Venezuela before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Carl Greenidge, said that while he is not a strategist, it would be unrealistic to dismiss the possibility of an invasion. However, he said the government has been working closely with allies to ensure Venezuela understands this would be ill-advised.
“Let me say also that I’m not a military strategist… but one cannot rule out military invasion as not being possible,” he told OilNOW in a recent interview.
He underscored the vulnerability of Guyana’s position, noting that “when a country is as large as Guyana in terms of its physical size and sparsely populated…physically, it is possible for any intrusion to take place, and maybe at times, for the fact of the intrusion to be unknown.”
Greenidge added, “It can’t be ruled out.” He, however, distinguished between the physical possibility of an invasion and the likelihood of an effective one.
According to him, the government has been “working with allies near and far to send a message to Venezuela that this would not be tolerated, and more importantly, to try and demonstrate… that it will not be a costless exercise.” Greenidge said that Venezuela would face the wrath of Guyana and its allies if it escalates its aggression.
He stated that these allies are nations which “respect, by and large, international law, which says that you cannot expand your territory…by turning to military conquest”.
Greenidge explained that Guyana has always embraced principles safeguarding territorial integrity, particularly for small states. “We embrace principles that don’t allow countries to use excuses, let alone silly excuses, for invading smaller territories,” he stated.
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He, however, cautioned that the global context cannot be ignored: “We are living in a world in which the rules of international law are being challenged. So in a sense, anything is possible. And lawlessness is not only conceivable, but it has been taking place.”
Reflecting on Venezuela’s history, Greenidge noted its long-standing alliance with the United States throughout much of the 20th century, which gave it access to advanced weaponry. “They have some of the most advanced weapons of military warfare, tanks, as well as high-performance aircraft,” he noted, adding that Venezuela’s “greatest asset would be manpower”.
But he emphasized that Guyana has no interest in provocation. He said Guyana has committed resources to diplomacy and “will not sit idly by”, stressing that it will call on the international community for support if necessary.
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.
