News
Any of act of aggression by Venezuela will be appropriately addressed — GS Jagdeo
– Says Venezuela’s provocations being monitored at the highest levels
– Slams AFC’s latest attempt to undermine national solidarity
Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, has assured the Guyanese populace that any act of physical aggression by Venezuela will be met with the appropriate response.
He was at the time responding to questions fielded by media representatives at his press conference on Thursday (March 20, 2025) at Freedom House Georgetown.
Dr Jagdeo told reporters that the matter is being looked at the highest levels of government, including receiving daily attention from
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Irfaan Ali and its international allies. “Those matters relating to the Venezuelan aggression against our country and their threat to our territorial integrity and sovereignty are receiving the attention of the entire government the highest level, at the presidential level, on a daily basis….and we’re working with a number of partners around the world to ensure that any Venezuelan aggression that manifests itself in a physical form would be dealt with appropriately,” he said.
Most recently, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations issued a joint statement on March 14, 2025 in support of Guyana – reiterating their call for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela and condemning actions by President Nicolás Maduro’s government that they say undermine democratic principles and regional stability. The foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the High Representative of the European Union underscored concerns over Venezuela’s internal political situation and they strongly condemned recent actions by Venezuelan naval vessels, which they described as threats to Guyana’s commercial operations. The ministers underscored their commitment to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, reaffirming these principles as essential to maintaining international order and regional peace. “We reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value,” the officials said.
DIVISIVE STATEMENTS
Meanwhile, the recent Alliance for Change (AFC) statement, in which they said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government “has proven time and time again that it has no stomach for a fight with Venezuela and instead chooses gimmickry and falsehoods to hide the reality from the Guyanese people,” has drawn sharp criticism from Dr Jagdeo.
He pointed out that such assertions can be viewed as divisive, potentially undermining the unified stance that Guyana has traditionally upheld in the ongoing border controversy.
Dr Jagdeo reminded that Guyana has historically maintained a bipartisan and unified front on this matter, considering it is a sacred issue of national sovereignty.
To this end, he commended Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton’s move to respond in a measured manner, during a recent news conference where he addressed questions from the media relating to his discussion with President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on the border controversy. “I saw someone who understood that sometimes you can’t conduct diplomacy in public, particularly on a sensitive matter like the border issue. It was a very mature position … but you can’t say the same for these lowlifes in the AFC. They will, for anything …destroy the solidarity we have,” he expressed
PLANNED ELECTIONS
Notably, Venezuela has announced that it will soon hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
When asked about intelligence regarding a Guyanese being appointed governor in the disputed region, the general secretary dismisses it as mere reports from Venezuela, emphasising that Guyana has authority over its own territory. Jagdeo said, “They can call him governor, king, viceroy, monarch, whatever they want to call their people but not in our Essequibo,” he stressed, reminding that any Guyanese who accepts to become governor is a treasonous act.
Jagdeo added, “…these antics by the Venezuelan government… you have to treat it seriously and that is why we took it to the ICJ. We approached the ICJ on the matter of their elections [and] our partners are fully briefed etc. …and Robeson Benn already made it clear – it’s a treason act. Any Guyanese who allows himself to be appointed Governor of Essequibo that includes our territory…it’s a treasonous act.”
Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has since filed a new case at the ICJ, seeking emergency measures to halt Venezuela’s plans to hold an election in Essequibo.
The ICJ is expected to address new requests for provisional measures, given Venezuela’s announcement that it will soon hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region. Guyana has argued to the ICJ that the conduct of Venezuelan elections, which are scheduled for 25 May 2025, as well as all preparatory acts in the disputed territory leading to the holding of such elections, would violate “Guyana’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, as well as the Court’s Order [on the indication of provisional measures] of 1 December 2023”.
INCURSION INTO GUYANA’S WATERS
Venezuela’s recent aggressions occurred on March 1, 2025, around 07:00 hours when Venezuelan Naval Vessel ABV Guaiqueiri sailed approximately 700 metres in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), near FPSO PROSPERITY.
The Venezuelan naval vessel communicated threateningly via radio communication that FPSO PROSPERITY was operating in Venezuela’s EEZ before continuing in a Southwestern direction towards other FPSOs, to which it delivered the same message.
The incursion drew swift condemnation from the Guyanese government, CARICOM, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, and key Western nations, including the US, the UK, and France.
ICJ PROCESS
On 29 March 2018, Guyana filed an Application instituting proceedings against Venezuela with respect to a dispute concerning “the legal validity and binding effect of the Award regarding the Boundary between the Colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela, of 3 October 1899”.
As basis for the jurisdiction of the Court, the Applicant invokes Article IV, paragraph 2, of the “Agreement to Resolve the Controversy between Venezuela and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland over the Frontier between Venezuela and British Guiana”, signed at Geneva on 17 February 1966, and the decision of 30 January 2018 by which the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in accordance with that Agreement, chose the Court as the means to be used for the settlement of the controversy.
On 18 June 2018, Venezuela informed the Court that it considered that the Court manifestly lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and that it had decided not to take part in the proceedings. The Court then decided to address first the question of its jurisdiction.
In its Judgment delivered on 18 December 2020, the Court found that it had jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by Guyana in so far as it concerned the validity of the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
Further to the filing of preliminary objections by Venezuela on 7 June 2022, the Court, in its Judgment of 6 April 2023, rejected Venezuela’s preliminary objection concerning the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction and found that it could adjudicate upon the merits of Guyana’s claims, in so far as they fall within the scope of the Court’s jurisdiction as defined in the operative clause of its Judgment of 18 December 2020.
On 30 October 2023, Guyana filed a Request for the indication of provisional measures due to its concern over the Government of Venezuela’s stated intention to hold a so-called “Consultative Referendum” on 3 December 2023 regarding the purported creation of the State of “Guayana Esequiba” within Venezuela, comprising the territory at issue in the current proceedings.
In its Order of 1 December 2023, the Court stated that, in light of the strong tension that characterized the relations between the Parties, it considered that the conduct of Venezuela — in organizing such a referendum and asserting that it would take concrete action on the basis of the results of that referendum — presented a serious risk of Venezuela acquiring and exercising control and administration of the territory in dispute. The Court therefore directed Venezuela to refrain from taking any action, pending a final decision in the case, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.
The Court further instructed both Parties to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute or make it more difficult to resolve.
By Deandrea Hamilton
The Cassandra I remember never backed down from a fight.
She had an effervescent personality and was fiercely committed to her family—and that included her church and her friends. She deeply
appreciated the people God had given her, drawing on their love and support to push through circumstances no child, no teenager, should have to face.
Today, voters in a country far from where she grew up have trusted her to champion more accessible communities and better responses to people facing mental health and developmental challenges.
It speaks volumes about what happens when we believe in our children. When we refuse to set limits on who they can become, regardless of how they started. When we recognize God’s hand on their lives and support their ability to contribute and make an impact, wherever He places them.
Cassandra Toussaint is now councilwoman-elect for Ward 1 in Avon, Indiana, after defeating Republican Doug Elmore in the November 3 election. She ran as a Democrat. (youarecurrent.com)
Of Haitian heritage, she grew up in Turks and Caicos, attending Oseta Jolly, briefly Maranatha, and then TCIPS.
Her connections remain strong: friends, family and Lady Turks Gift Shop, a boutique venture she created with her best friend, Novie, from an idea they shared as teenagers.
Her family includes her father, Eliezer Toussaint, and her brother, Stoycov Toussaint, who graduated from Indiana University. Stephane Ambroise is playing basketball in Canada. Her mother, Ertha Etienne, died when Cassandra and her siblings were children.
In Turks and Caicos, her cousins Brenda, Steven, Lendcy and Sarah Cenary are, she says, successful and passionate about helping young
people and giving back to their community. Their mother, her aunt Rose Philomene Cenary, has worked in the Islands’ hotel industry for years and holds a special place in Cassandra’s heart.
“My aunt is the glue of my family,” Cassandra said, describing her love for the family and how she has always done her best to support them all.
A registered behavior technician, Toussaint says her childhood experiences inspired her to advocate for children who feel misunderstood.
Her campaign priorities included improved roads, accessible parks and facilities, and police training to better recognize and respond to autism and intellectual disabilities.
With limited money and little preparation time, she took her campaign directly to residents, knocking on doors and connecting at community events.
“Every resident deserves to be met with understanding,” she wrote.
The young woman I remember is preparing to bring that conviction into public office.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (November 6th, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes Porter Airlines as it begins its service to the destination with its inaugural Toronto (YYZ) to Providenciales (PLS) route on Friday, November 6th. The airline will service the route five times weekly from the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
On December 17th, Porter will launch its Ottawa to PLS flight, a new route for the Turks and Caicos Islands. That route will be serviced twice weekly from Ottawa International Airport (YOW).
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly said the expansion of air service from Canada reflects the growing strength of that market to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“Canada is showing strong and growing interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and we are pleased to see that reflected in the expansion of air service from the market. Porter Airlines’ new nonstop flights from Toronto and Ottawa strengthen our connectivity with Canada and give travellers more convenient options for reaching our islands. Canadians have always shown a genuine appreciation for the culture, heritage, natural beauty and, of course, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Perhaps it is that shared warmth and friendliness that keeps bringing them back, and our partnership with Porter will simply make it easier for Canadians to continue showing their love for our Beautiful by Nature islands. Toronto builds on an important existing market for us, while Ottawa opens an entirely new gateway to the Turks and Caicos Islands. This increased access will make it easier for more Canadians to discover and enjoy our destination, while supporting the continued growth of this important market.”
Hon. Arlington Musgrove, minister responsible for aviation, Turks and Caicos commended his team at the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) for developing this relationship with Porter.
“The launch of Porter Airlines’ new services from Toronto and Ottawa to the Turks and Caicos Islands is another important milestone in strengthening our connectivity with the Canadian market. Canada remains an important source market for our tourism industry, and these new routes will give Canadians more choice and easier access to the warmth, beauty, and hospitality of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I
commend the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority for leading this initiative and for its continued efforts to develop air service and build strong relationships with our airline partners. I also extend our sincere appreciation to Porter Airlines for its confidence in the Turks and Caicos Islands and for choosing our destination as part of its growing network of sun destinations. We warmly welcome Porter, its passengers and crew to our shores and look forward to a successful and lasting partnership,” he said.
To celebrate and promote the new flights, Experience Turks and Caicos hosted a reception in Ottawa for travel advisors and media. Organised by VoX International, our marketing agency in Canada, the event featured remarks by Market Intelligence Manager, Sharissa Lightbourne and Chairman of the TCIAA, Dwayne Gardiner. Nikeva Ariza, Director of Corporate Affairs, Communications and Public Engagement was also in attendance.
The new flights are operated by Porter’s 132-seat Embraer E195-E2. The aircraft features a two-by-two seating configuration, meaning no middle seats for any passenger. Porter’s elevated onboard experience includes complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, premium Canadian snacks, and free, fast WiFi for every passenger.
To book your flight, visit www.flyporter.com.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (November 4th, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands recorded its highest number of stayover arrivals for the third quarter of the year, with approximately 130,000 visitors welcomed between July and September, representing a three percent increase over the same period in 2025.
Preliminary figures from Experience Turks and Caicos show that the destination recorded 514,670 stayover arrivals for the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 25,048 visitors, or five percent, compared with the same period last year. Growth was recorded in every month from January through September, underscoring the destination’s continued appeal among travellers and the sustained demand for its tourism product.
Stay Over Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)
September closed the quarter on a positive note, with 20,204 stayover arrivals, seven percent more than the 18,795 recorded in September 2025. The year-to-date total of 514,670 is the highest number of stayover arrivals ever recorded for the January-to-September period.
Commenting on the record stayover arrivals, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly said: “These record arrivals are an encouraging achievement for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a reflection of the continued confidence visitors have in our destination. However, I’ve always maintained that the true measure of tourism’s success cannot simply be the number of visitors arriving on our shores. It must also be measured by the opportunities we create for our people.”
“Our vision is to build a stronger, higher-value tourism industry where Turks and Caicos Islanders are not simply employees, but entrepreneurs, business owners and active participants in the economic opportunities tourism creates. This is why our recent Community Connect meetings across the sister islands were so important. We want to engage directly with our communities, understand their challenges and ensure that as our tourism industry grows, the opportunities for our people grow alongside it. Ultimately, tourism must do more than bring people to our shores. It must improve the lives of the people who call these islands home.”
Cruise arrivals reflect return to regular itineraries
Cruise passenger arrivals at the Grand Turk Cruise Port followed a different trend during the first nine months of 2026, with figures reflecting a return to more typical cruise itineraries following an unusually strong period in 2025.
Last year, cruise lines added Grand Turk to their itineraries, resulting in exceptionally high passenger volumes and cruise calls. With itineraries returning to more regular patterns this year, cruise passenger arrivals declined year over year throughout the first nine months.
The destination received 62,095 cruise passengers in September, a 22 percent decrease from the 79,341 recorded in September 2025. From January through September, total cruise passenger arrivals stood at 838,533, compared with 1,016,532 during the same period last year, representing an 18 percent decline.
Cruise Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)
While the cruise figures reflect a normalisation from last year’s elevated numbers, the continued growth in stayover arrivals provides a positive indicator of the destination’s performance in its overnight visitor market.
It is projected that the month-on-month increases in stayover arrivals will continue into the upcoming winter season, especially with the additional airlift expected from new and existing gateways in Canada and the US.
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