The Institute for Action Against Discrimination (IFAAD) has issued a strong condemnation of Venezuela’s national elections set for May 25, 2025, declaring them a violation of democratic norms and a direct provocation against Guyana’s sovereignty.
In a statement released on Saturday, IFAAD Vice Chairman Ubraj Narine, former Mayor of Georgetown, criticised the elections as illegitimate and orchestrated under an authoritarian regime that suppresses civil liberties and political dissent.
“These elections, held under undemocratic conditions, lack credibility in the eyes of the international community,” Narine said. “More disturbingly, they are being used as a platform to advance Venezuela’s baseless and aggressive claim over Guyana’s Essequibo region.”
The organisation warned that Venezuela’s continued use of electoral and political tactics to assert its claim to Essequibo is not only unlawful but poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the region.
“The Essequibo region has been internationally recognised as part of Guyana since the arbitral award of 1899, a legal decision that remains binding under international law,” IFAAD’s statement read. “Venezuela’s attempts to unilaterally alter these boundaries—through misinformation, intimidation, and now a sham electoral process—are illegal and must be unequivocally condemned.”
IFAAD called on democratic governments, international human rights bodies, and regional organisations to remain vigilant and proactive in confronting what it describes as both authoritarianism and unlawful territorial aggression.
Narine concluded the statement with a patriotic affirmation: “God bless Guyana!”
The condemnation comes as tensions remain high over Venezuela’s ongoing efforts to assert control over the Essequibo region, despite a unanimous motion passed by Guyana’s National Assembly on November 6, 2023, reaffirming the country’s sovereignty and its reliance on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the matter peacefully.
