GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana has lodged a formal complaint with Caribbean leadership following Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision to display a disputed territorial symbol during recent diplomatic missions throughout the region.
The controversial accessory depicts Guyana’s mineral-rich Essequibo territory, a massive area comprising two-thirds of the nation that sits at the center of a longstanding border disagreement between the neighboring South American countries.
Venezuelan officials across government agencies have adopted the symbolic pin with growing frequency since Nicolás Maduro’s dramatic capture during a pre-dawn operation at his Caracas residence in early January.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali addressed his concerns in correspondence to Terrance Drew, who serves as St. Kitts and Nevis’ prime minister and leads the Caribbean Community trade organization known as Caricom. Ali stated the accessory represents “Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory.”
Rodríguez displayed the territorial symbol during her Monday diplomatic mission to Barbados and had previously worn it while visiting Grenada in April, marking her inaugural international travel since assuming leadership following Maduro’s detention.
Ali expressed worry that Rodríguez’s choice to wear the symbol during formal state business might suggest host nations show “acquiescence or tolerance” toward Venezuela’s territorial assertions.
“Caricom’s principled support for Guyana must be reflected not only in declarations but in the context and conduct of official engagements,” Ali stated in his communication to the regional bloc.
The territorial disagreement stems from Venezuela’s position that an 1899 international boundary determination unfairly deprived the country of the region while under British colonial administration. The Netherlands’ International Court of Justice currently oversees the dispute.
Ali’s letter emphasized the trade organization’s consistent backing of Guyana’s territorial rights during important gatherings and argued that Venezuela should be prohibited from showcasing “symbols and maps” representing Essequibo, as such displays could weaken the ongoing international legal proceedings.
The Guyanese leader has also criticized Venezuela’s practice of incorporating Essequibo into official government maps, characterizing it as a “calculated and provocative assertion of a claim” that his nation continues to reject.
Recent tensions have escalated as Venezuela deployed naval vessels near American-operated offshore drilling platforms operating under Guyanese licensing, demanding cessation of petroleum extraction activities that the companies have disregarded.
Venezuelan government representatives in Caracas were unavailable for immediate response regarding the diplomatic complaint.
