Guyana Defense Force troops attacked near Venezuela border

The Guyana Defense Force (GDF) reported on Thursday that its soldiers came under fire from armed men in civilian clothing positioned on the Venezuelan side of the Cuyuni River, as tensions mount ahead of Venezuela’s controversial May 25 election in the disputed Essequibo region.

According to a GDF statement, the attacks occurred during three separate incidents over a 24-hour period along the river stretch between Eteringbang and Makapa. The gunmen, who remain unidentified, launched their assaults from the Venezuelan shore during routine patrols carried out by Guyanese forces.

“In each instance, the Guyana Defence Force executed a measured response, and no rank sustained any injuries,” the GDF noted.

The military reaffirmed its commitment to defending Guyana’s territorial sovereignty and ensuring the safety of its citizens, emphasizing that regular patrols will continue along the border.

The GDF “remains resolute in its mission,” the statement continued, pledging to “continue to respond to acts of aggression” and to take “all necessary measures to safeguard the nation’s borders and maintain peace and security.”

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The reported confrontations come just days before Venezuela plans to hold elections in the Essequibo region, a territory administered by Guyana but claimed by Caracas. The vote is set to go forward despite a binding order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) prohibiting unilateral actions in the disputed area.

In a statement, the government of President Nicolás Maduro firmly opposed the ICJ’s authority over the matter, insisting that international law does not permit the court to “interfere” in what it deems internal Venezuelan affairs.

Venezuela has asserted ownership over the resource-rich Essequibo for decades, a region that comprises roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass. In recent years, Caracas has expanded its claims to include parts of Guyana’s maritime territory, including offshore zones where ExxonMobil has made major oil discoveries—totaling over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent in the Stabroek Block.

Guyana brought the border dispute before the ICJ, which in May reaffirmed an earlier ruling barring Venezuela from altering the status quo and explicitly rejected Caracas’ planned election in the region.

The legal battle centers on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between the two nations. Venezuela had recognized the award for decades before repudiating it in 1962 and renewing its claim to the Essequibo.