Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday reminded Guyanese of the consequences of participating in Venezuela’s fraudulent elections, which are expected to be held in Venezuelan territory but is purported to be for Guyana’s Essequibo region.
At his press conference, the Vice President endorsed a recent statement by Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, who warned that both Guyanese citizens and Venezuelan nationals could face consequences such as arrest and/or deportation if they participate in Venezuela’s upcoming elections.
Jagdeo said, “The Chief of Staff has made it clear, and I wish to endorse his decision that should there be any attempt by any Venezuelan who’s living here to purport to vote in those elections, they will be rounded up and deported, immediately sent out of our country.”
With regard to Guyanese citizens, the Vice President emphasised that it would be a treasonous act for any of them to participate in the elections.
On May 25, Venezuela plans to hold regional elections, including in areas it claims as part of a new state that encompasses the Essequibo. Speaking on the issue, Jagdeo reminded that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had signalled his intention to hold these elections following the passage of a “rigged referendum.” In reference to the 2023 referendum, Jagdeo said he believes the figures were manipulated and also noted the low voter turnout.
The Guyana-Venezuela border controversy centres on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the land boundary between the two countries has been before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) since 2018. Following Venezuela’s announcement of the referendum, Guyana approached the ICJ in December 2023, and the court issued provisional orders instructing that Venezuela must not take any action to disrupt the status quo.
Earlier this year, Guyana returned to the ICJ, which issued additional provisional measures reaffirming that no action should be taken by Venezuela to alter the current situation where Guyana exercises full control over the 83,000 square miles of land, two-thirds of which is the Essequibo region.
Jagdeo said, “Nevertheless, Venezuela has defied the ICJ, defied the entire international community, because there was condemnation of this attempt, or the intent, this express intent, to hold these elections, and they are proceeding with the elections.”
The Vice President added that the Venezuelan government’s decision to proceed with the elections is an attempt to deflect attention from domestic issues.
“This is Maduro’s way of deflecting from all of his concerns at home, raised by people at home, and there are many concerns, there is economic decline, there is global sanctions against the country.
“They rigged the elections massively, there is locking up of his opponents in Venezuela, and so he often uses the border issues to deflect attention from those matters,” Jagdeo added.
The Vice President reiterated Guyana’s position on the border controversy and noted that the country has the support of both the ICJ and the international community. He referenced recent remarks by United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, who reiterated strong U.S. support for Guyana.
He added, “And we as a nation need to stand together against this fraudulent regime and their fraudulent elections in the Essequibo region, or that they purport to be for the Essequibo region.”
