Guyana minister raps CARICOM nations for accommodating Venezuela’s President with Essequibo brooch

Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, 9:01 by Denis Chabrol

Guyana’s Minister of Local Government, Priya Manickchand has scolded those Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders that have accommodated Venezuela’s President Delcy Rodriguez in official talks as she wore a brooch of her country’s map that includes Guyana’s Essequibo Region.

“CARICOM leaders claiming to be our friends AND benefitting from that friendship even as they entertain their other friends who are completely disrespecting Guyana by openly claiming 2/3 of my country and sporting that on a visible piece of jewellery even as that matter is being adjudicated in the ICJ, has me questioning our friendships and the principles of these CARICOM leaders,” she said in a Facebook post late Monday night.

The long-serving government minister admonished those countries for violating the principle of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Principle is principle. It shouldn’t be cowardly. And it shouldn’t be convenient,” Ms Manickchand said.

But Alliance For Change (AFC) executive member, Beverly Alert lashed back at the minister, indicating that the Guyana government should have abided by the principle of supporting Cuba, a long-time ally of Guyana, in quashing the Cuban Medical Brigade programme. “Principle is principle and should have applied when the decision was made to send home Cuban doctors. Cuba has been a long time and staunch friend to Guyana,” said Ms Alert, a former parliamentarian. Guyana and several other CARICOM member nations have terminated the Cuban medical brigade programme after the United States threatened to revoke the visas government officials and their immediate family members over concerns that the doctors were being exploited by the Cuban government.

Ms Manickchand’s comments came hours after Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Ms Rodriguez appeared at official engagements in Bridgetown with the former wearing the brooch that portrays the annexation of the Essequibo Region. Earlier this month, the Venezuelan leader wore a similar brooch during her official engagements with Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell.

The Guyana government has not said anything officially about what is now regarded in some quarters as ‘brooch gate’ but a number of private sector organisations with which the administration enjoys extremely close relations have begun speaking out. The umbrella Private Sector Commission (PSC) did not name Grenada but called on Barbados, CARICOM and the international community to speak out against such actions by Venezuela.

“We call on the Government of Barbados, a valued CARICOM partner and long-standing friend of Guyana to stand firmly in defence of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Further, we call on CARICOM and all regional and international partners to remain vigilant and unequivocal in their support for the rule of law. Silence or inaction in the face of such deliberate provocation risks emboldening further escalation,” the PSC said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) would next month hold several days of hearings for Guyana and Venezuela to present the merits of their case on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award.

The ICJ could hand down its decision on the case brought by Guyana during the first quarter of next year.

CARICOM member states have consistently supported Guyana’s position that Essequibo is part of its territory, but several of the small island states have over the years enjoyed fraternal relations with Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro in turn for concessionary oil prices and other forms support.