GDF Chief Warns of Arrests and Deportations Amid Venezuela’s Planned Elections in Guyana’s Essequibo
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
Georgetown, Guyana – The Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, has warned any Venezuelans who may attempt to vote in Venezuela’s illegal May 25 regional elections intended to include Guyana’s Essequibo territory. According to Brigadier Khan, such actions will result in arrest and deportation.
“Yes, we got knowledge of it. We arrest you and deport you. You can’t vote in a country of yours and come to ours and believe everything will be okay—no,” said Brigadier Khan during a Thursday afternoon press briefing.
Despite a recent ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Venezuela to cease preparations for elections involving Essequibo, President Nicolás Maduro’s administration is moving full steam ahead. This defiance has raised regional alarms, mainly after reports emerged that GDF troops came under fire in three separate incidents between Eteringbang and Makapa, launched by armed men in civilian clothing on the Venezuelan side of the Cuyuni River.
Brigadier Khan confirmed that the Guyana Defence Force continues receiving intelligence from residents in border communities and Georgetown about planned activities and possible electoral participation along the disputed border.
“We have acted on that information and will continue to do so. Anyone participating in such an election will eventually get to us,” he noted.
The Chief of Staff assured the public that every border-related incident is documented and shared with international partners, including the Regional Security System (RSS).
Background: Tensions Mount Over Disputed Territory
Since 2023, Venezuela has escalated its claim over Guyana’s Essequibo region, with Maduro threatening annexation. In late 2023, a referendum was held in Venezuela to ask voters if Essequibo should become part of that country—a move strongly condemned by CARICOM, Brazil, and the United Nations.
The ICJ is considering the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which legally established the border between Guyana and Venezuela over a century ago. Guyana filed its memorandum in 2018, seeking a final and binding judgment.
Despite the ongoing case, Venezuela insists that international law prohibits the ICJ from interfering in its “internal matters.”
Brigadier Khan’s comments reaffirm Guyana’s position that it will vigorously protect its sovereignty and ensure that illegal elections and territorial aggression are not tolerated within its borders.
