Guyana Defence Force Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Omar Khan, has been visiting communities that border Venezuela and threatening citizens that should they participate in upcoming elections organised by neighboring Venezuela over the Essequibo Region, they will be charged with treason and other felony crimes.
There is video circulating of Brig. Gen. Khan addressing residents during these visits, warning them of the legal consequences of engaging in the Venezuelan-organised polls.
“If anyone participates or takes any similar action, it will amount to support for a passive coup,” Brig. Gen. Omar Khan told The Associated Press. “Anything along those lines will speak to a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
President Nicolás Maduro has set May 25 as the date for elections for Governor and Legislative Council in the Essequibo region, and appears to be moving forward despite a May 1, 2025, directive from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that stated: “Venezuela shall refrain from conducting elections, or preparing to conduct elections, in the territory in dispute, which the Co-operative Republic of Guyana currently administers and over which it exercises control.”
According to Khan, Venezuelans living in Guyana who become involved in Sunday’s elections could also face arrest and deportation.
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, in a recent social media post, raised concerns that approximately 100,000 people of direct or indirect Venezuelan ancestry currently reside in Guyana. Former Prime Minister Hamilton Green, in a letter to the editor, claimed he was “reliably informed that scores of Venezuelan citizens who entered Guyana illegally through our rather porous borders are facilitated with so-called Late Registration, and therefore being granted National Identification Cards, and therefore will be registered as Guyanese citizens and are entitled to vote,” in Guyana’s upcoming elections.
However, not all agree with Khan’s actions. A former senior military officer described his statements as “out of order,” asserting that the role of the GDF is to defend the country’s borders, not to issue threats to civilians.
“The role of the GDF is not to threaten citizens but to defend Guyana’s borders and maintain internal security. Ensuring compliance with the law is the responsibility of the Guyana Police Force,” the former officer said.
He reminded that while the GDF is part of Guyana’s Disciplined Services, “each service has a unique responsibility, and the best practice is to avoid interference in the role of the other. What we do is collaborate—at the invitation of the other and under directive from the Commander-in-Chief—but it must be consistent with the law or a gazetted order.”
Calling the situation a “new low for the GDF,” the former officer urged Khan to focus instead on internal challenges within the military, including allegations of mistreatment of personnel and gaps in readiness.
“The last thing the GDF needs is to be seen as a tyrant among the citizens,” the officer added.
