Pres. Ali highlights critical factors shaping Venezuela’s future, priority of border security

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 January 2026, 11:36 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Saturday night identified key ingredients for Venezuela’s future, following last night’s United States’ bombing of military installations in Caracas as part of an operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

“Stability, respect for law, and democratic transition are critical to the future of Venezuela and the broader Americas,” Dr Ali said on the social media platform X, and which was tagged to US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The Guyanese leader added that “Guyana supports efforts that uphold democratic norms and ensure that the region remains a Zone of Peace.”

Dr Ali said the Guyana government welcomed the leadership of the President of the United States in reaffirming shared commitments to freedom, democracy, and regional security. “We look forward to constructive engagement in Venezuela’s next chapter in the interest of all Venezuelans,” he said.

The Government of Guyana, the President said, continues to monitor the developments in Venezuela following the U.S.’s capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

Earlier on Saturday, Dr Ali would not be drawn into comment on whether he supported Mr Maduro’s capture and removal from office or whether it sets a dangerous precedent for the removal of an elected head of state by another country, despite the fact that his former socialist People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had fought against imperialism.

Venezuela’s parliamentary and regional elections held in May, 2025 were widely regarded by the opposition and influential countries as rigged and marred by a low voter-turnout, although Mr Maduro had claimed an overwhelming victory.

Instead, Dr Ali said his administration’s priority was protecting the sovereignty of Guyana and the security of its people.

“There will be many challenges that we have to navigate given the current situation and we have to ensure that all our efforts are directed to this exercise and to continue to work with all our friends and allies in ensuring this priority of Guyana is maintained and achieved,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Dr Ali, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, expressed “confidence” in the joint services as well as a national, regional and international approach with Guyana’s partners.

Concerning the likely influx of migrants and how that would be addressed from a humanitarian standpoint, he said the “situation is fast-paced” and assessments were constantly being made from humanitarian, security and criminal perspectives.

“We are all aware that there are criminal gangs operating on our borders. In Venezuela, there are other criminal elements and we have to ensure first and foremost that our borders are secured and not infiltrated and that is where our priority is at this moment,” he said.

In the past several months civilian-dressed men on the Venezuelan side of the bordering Cuyuni River had shot at Guyanese soldiers who were traversing the river from one location to another.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton recommended that the Guyana government implement a four-pronged plan to deal with a potential security and humanitarian fallout from the US strikes.

He said the plan should include specially designated arrival zones where migrants would be screened to minimise infiltration.

APNU, he also said, stood ready to vote for funds in the National Assembly to provide support to migrants.

The APNU and main opposition We Invest in Nationhood also called on the government to ensure there is a unified national approach to addressing issues that could be triggered by the US strikes.

Already, there are more than 100,000 Venezuelans and Venezuelans of Guyanese ancestry who have fled economic and political crises in their homeland and are living and working in Guyana.