Venezuela elections criticized by Guyana president as ‘sham’

Venezuela’s plan to elect officials to govern the disputed Essequibo region, has been heavily criticized by Guyana’s President as a ‘sham’ according to The Guardian of Friday, May 23, 2025.

The disputed Essequibo region is internationally recognized as part of Guyana.

This has sparked a strong rebuke from Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, who called the move “a full-frontal assault” on his country’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability.

Venezuelans are set to vote on Sunday to choose governors and lawmakers, including those intended to represent and administer the Essequibo territory.

This area comprises about two-thirds of Guyana’s land and is home to approximately 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens.

It is not only ecologically significant with dense jungle but also rich in natural resources such as oil, gold, diamonds, and timber.

President Ali described the Venezuelan elections as part of a broader campaign aimed at inciting conflict.

Speaking to The Guardian, he stated, “The sham elections Venezuela seeks to stage in our territory are not only illegal, they are an act of brazen hostility.

“This threat is not just aimed at Guyana. It undermines regional peace.”

He warned that the implications extend beyond Guyana, affecting the broader stability of the Western Hemisphere.

The longstanding territorial dispute dates back to colonial times.

Guyana, a former British and Dutch colony, maintains that the boundary was conclusively determined by an international arbitration tribunal in 1899.

However, Venezuela claims the territory based on its historical inclusion within its borders during the Spanish colonial era.

Tensions flared again in 2015 following the discovery of massive oil reserves in the area by U.S. energy company ExxonMobil.

The situation worsened in 2023 as Guyana began issuing licenses for oil exploration.

That same year, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held a referendum to gauge public support for incorporating Essequibo as a Venezuelan state.

Following the referendum, Maduro threatened to annex the region and pledged to hold elections for its administration, despite opposition from international bodies.

Venezuela views Essequibo as “an inalienable part of the Venezuelan territory and a legacy of our liberators.”

The Maduro government has dismissed a ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to halt the electoral process.

In defiance, Caracas declared, “No international pressure, judicial blackmail, or foreign tribunal will make us back down from this conviction.”

Experts, including Dr. Christopher Sabatini of Chatham House, interpret the elections as a strategy by Maduro to stir nationalist sentiment and distract from domestic crises.

Sabatini noted the move was “intended to stoke the fires of nationalism.”

Guyana’s military is taking the threat seriously.

Brigadier Omar Khan, the country’s chief of defence staff, has urged Indigenous communities, especially those near the border, to report any Venezuelan attempts to facilitate the elections.

“I want you to be vigilant,” Khan told community leaders.

He also issued a stark warning: any participation by Guyanese citizens in the Venezuelan-run elections would be considered treason and a violation of national sovereignty.

“Anything along those lines will speak to a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

A Venezuelan source clarified that although the newly created “Guyana-Essequibo state” is intended to include the full disputed area, voting would actually occur only in a border municipality in Venezuela’s Bolívar state.

The source suggested it is unlikely Venezuelan authorities would attempt to cross the internationally recognized boundary into Guyana.

President Ali emphasized that while Guyana is a “peaceful nation,” it will not be intimidated.

“We bow to no bully and yield to no threat,” he said.

He pledged to invest in military, diplomatic, technological, and human resources to defend Guyana’s sovereignty.

These elections also come amid Venezuela’s broader political turmoil.

Ten months ago, Maduro claimed victory in a widely disputed election, followed by a harsh crackdown on dissent.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported the regime had “killed, tortured, detained, and forcefully disappeared people seeking democratic change.”

Venezuelans will also elect 24 governors and 285 national assembly members on Sunday, but turnout is expected to be low.

Juan Pappier, deputy director of HRW’s Americas Division, said:

“Last year, Maduro stole the votes of Venezuelans and repressed those who demanded fair counting.

“It’s hard to see how many of them will turn out to vote again.”

Disillusionment is widespread. Víctor Alfonzo, a 33-year-old from Anzoátegui, said, “I’m not planning to vote. Neither are my friends nor my family.

“We know that everything is a fraud with this government.”

The opposition remains divided over whether to participate.

Prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado has urged a boycott to discredit the elections with low turnout.

However, some warn that abstaining may strengthen the regime. In 2020, a similar boycott allowed Maduro’s allies to regain control of parliament.

Sabatini observed, “Those leaders who sit out become irrelevant.

“That, in part, is the government’s plan.”

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