A group of Guyanese soldiers came under attack on Monday near the country’s western border, allegedly by members of the Venezuelan Sindicato gang.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo on Tuesday, Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, said the country is taking the incident “very seriously.”
“Even if, and I am not saying this is the case, we have to do the evaluation, even if it is an armed gang or any of those organizations that operate on the Venezuela side of the border, this is serious, because they fired on ranks in uniform,” President Ali said. “Let us get the evaluation and then we will discuss our procedure that is important for the protection of our men and women in uniform and also of our sovereignty.”
According to information released by the armed forces, the injured soldiers have been identified as Second Lieutenant Ansel Murray, who sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of his head; Sergeant Kevon Davis, who was shot in the right foot and ankle; Corporal Andre Fraser, who suffered gunshot wounds to the left side of his abdomen and shoulder; Corporal Kevin Henry, who was shot in the left arm and shoulder; Lance Corporal Travis Yorrick, who sustained a gunshot wound to the right thigh; and Private Ezron Samuel, who was shot in the right side of his abdomen.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in a statement explained that the resupply vessel with the ranks traveling from Eteringbang to Makapa came under fire from a group of armed men. The patrol swiftly retaliated, engaging the attackers with return fire.
Further reports state that the suspects in the shooting have been arrested by the Venezuelan military. One suspect is reportedly dead.
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This incident has the potential to escalate tensions between Venezuela and Guyana. The two border nations are currently embroiled in a territorial controversy with an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice.
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.
