“Guyana will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated” – Min. Todd as motion tabled in National Assembly to reaffirm country’s sovereignty

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd has issued a stern warning to Venezuela that Guyana will not be bullied or intimidated into surrendering any part of its national territory.

“It is important for Venezuela to understand that Guyana will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated to surrender any portion of our patrimony,” the Foreign Minister contended.

He made this declaration this morning in the National Assembly when he tabled a motion titled: ‘Support for the Government and People of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Reaffirming the Sovereignty of Guyana over its Internationally Recognized Territory’.

The motion seeks the National Assembly to unequivocally reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and indissolubility of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana; strongly condemns the actions of the Government of Venezuela in defiance of the May 1, 2025 Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and views such actions as a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace and stability; expresses its full support for the Government of Guyana in its efforts to protect and defend Guyana’s territorial integrity through peaceful and lawful means, including continued recourse to the International Court of Justice; and calls upon the international community to support Guyana in upholding the rule of law and the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice.

It also directs that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community as well as other relevant international bodies.

In presenting the motion to the House, Minister Todd outlined the aggressive tactics that Venezuela has employed against Guyana over its spurious claims of the Essequibo region, which is two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass.

The Foreign Minister pointed out that while Guyana remains committed to international law and the peaceful resolution of this border controversy through the international court process and calls upon Venezuela to comply with the court’s legally binding orders and to refrain from actions that would destabilize this region and violate Guyana’s territorial integrity.

“It is a message to our international partners that Guyana remains steadfast in our commitment to peace, but unwavering in our defense of sovereignty,” Todd stated

In urging support from the Opposition for the motion, Todd declared “Let history record that in this moment, we stood firm. We stood united and we stood resolute. Let it be recorded that when our sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country was challenged, our unity was unbreakable. Let it also be recorded that when it mattered most, we raised our voices in dignity and determination for our dear land of Guyana.”

This motion comes days before Venezuela’s planned elections in the Essequibo region on May 25 – something which Guyana has already vehemently rejected and has been widely condemned by the international community.