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A team with Guyanese electoral material is attacked on the border with Venezuela
Georgetown.– A patrol transporting electoral material on the Cuyuni River, on the border with Venezuela, was targeted this Sunday by shots fired from the Venezuelan side.
The incident, which occurred in the disputed Essequibo region, took place a day before the general elections in Guyana, in which President Irfaan Ali is seeking to be re-elected for a second term.
According to the Guyana Police Force statement, the patrol that was impacted was made up of members of the Guyana Defence Force and the Police.
Security personnel were escorting nine election officials who were distributing ballots to polling stations located in remote areas of the region.
The patrol responded immediately and managed to rescue the electoral team, without any injuries or damage to the ballots and ballot boxes.
The team continued its journey safely and all the electoral material was delivered to the polling stations in Cumang, Kurutuku and Dukquarie.
The text underlined that security forces remain alert to ensure security during the electoral process.
Guyana defends the validity of the 1899 Paris Arbitration Award, which granted sovereignty over the territory to the then British Guiana, and that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has jurisdiction to resolve this dispute, but Venezuela rejects it.
Currently, the Essequibo region, rich in oil and natural resources, is administered by Georgetown and claimed by Caracas.
Since Venezuela held a referendum in December 2023 to annex the Esequibo, the crisis has worsened and raised fears of a greater conflict.
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