By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Guyana has moved to reinforce security along its borders in response to recent developments in neighbouring Venezuela, with Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips confirming that the country remains on high alert.
Speaking during a recent interview, Prime Minister Phillips said the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has strengthened its presence along all of Guyana’s borders, including those with Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil. The measures, he explained, were implemented immediately following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by United States security forces earlier this month.
According to the Prime Minister, the military was already operating at an elevated level of readiness, but the situation in Venezuela prompted an intensified focus on vigilance and preparedness.
He noted that while there have been no reports of unusual or hostile activity along Guyana’s frontiers so far, security forces are taking no chances.
Phillips stressed that authorities will not be lulled into a false sense of security, adding that routine cross-border activity continues but is being closely monitored.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Guyana’s priority is to prevent any instability or aggression from spilling over its borders and to ensure the safety of communities, particularly those living in frontier regions.
“At the end of the day, we have to defend our borders and ensure that the people on our side continue to enjoy an acceptable level of security,” Phillips said.
Guyana and Venezuela have a long-standing territorial controversy over the Essequibo region, which comprises approximately two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass. Guyana maintains that the boundary was conclusively settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, a position currently before the International Court of Justice. Venezuela, however, continues to reject the court’s jurisdiction over the matter.
As regional and international attention remains focused on developments in Venezuela, Guyana’s security forces are expected to maintain heightened vigilance to safeguard national sovereignty and public safety.
