GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A member of Guyana’s military sustained injuries during an armed confrontation with Venezuelan gunmen near the countries’ shared border, officials reported.
According to a statement from the Guyana Defense Force, their patrol boat operating on the Cuyuni River encountered hostile fire on Friday evening.
This incident represents another violent episode in a series of border confrontations that have occurred in recent years amid ongoing territorial disagreements, with Venezuela asserting claims over two-thirds of Guyana’s land. A prior assault resulted in injuries to eight Guyanese military personnel.
Both nations recently presented their cases before the International Court of Justice in The Hague regarding a disputed 62,000-square-mile (160,000-square-kilometer) area abundant in gold, diamonds, timber and additional natural resources. The contested region sits adjacent to significant offshore petroleum reserves that currently yield approximately 900,000 barrels daily.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez informed the court in The Hague that diplomatic discussions rather than legal decisions should settle this longstanding territorial disagreement.
Venezuela maintains its claim to Essequibo based on historical colonial boundaries that included the area. The country contends that a 1966 Geneva agreement involving Venezuela, Britain and the former British Guiana, which became Guyana, invalidated boundary lines established by international arbitrators in 1899.
