Guyana lodges protest note to Venezuela over border shooting incidents

Guyana has dispatched a diplomatic protest note to the Venezuela condemning recent attacks on Guyana Defence Force (GDF) personnel along the Cuyuni River and calling for urgent investigations into the incidents.

Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd said the note was sent from his office to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown for onward transmission to Caracas.

The protest follows two shooting incidents on May 4 and May 5 in which GDF patrols operating along the border came under fire, leaving at least one soldier injured during riverine security operations.

According to officials, the attacks occurred while GDF troops were conducting patrols along the Cuyuni River, an area that has seen security incidents in recent months.

Guyana has requested that Venezuelan authorities carry out a full investigation and take measures to prevent a recurrence of similar attacks along the frontier.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions linked to the ongoing territorial controversy over Essequibo, currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where a ruling is expected in the coming months. Venezuela has previously said it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.

Guyana has continued to maintain that its security operations along the western border are lawful and necessary to protect territorial integrity.