The United States plans to facilitate negotiations between Guyana and Venezuela on their maritime boundary once the International Court of Justice delivers its ruling on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the two countries’ land border, according to U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot.
Speaking on NewsSource’s interview programme SOURCES, Theriot expressed confidence that the ICJ ruling would favour Guyana, and said that outcome would unlock Washington’s ability to assist with maritime boundary negotiations.
“We all know how that is going to turn out. It is obvious. In Guyana’s favour. As soon as that happens, it will trigger our ability to assist with the negotiations on the maritime border,” she said.
Guyana is currently before the ICJ seeking a final and binding resolution of Venezuela’s long-standing claim to more than two-thirds of Guyanese territory, including a portion of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone where over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent have been discovered. The written phase of the case concluded last year, and the World Court has set May 4 for the commencement of oral arguments on the merits. A binding judgment will follow.
On the security front, Theriot confirmed that the U.S. will continue supporting Guyana against transnational threats, noting that tensions with Venezuela have eased since a U.S. operation on January 3, 2026, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured.
“Luckily, those have calmed a bit since our January 3 operation there. We continue to be vigilant and should you need our help, we are here,” she said.
The Ambassador revealed that drone technology is among the solutions being explored to strengthen Guyana’s domain awareness across its vast and difficult-to-monitor borders. The discussions followed a recent visit to Guyana by Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas, Kristi Noem, who met with President Dr. Irfaan Ali and senior military officials.
President Ali has also requested assistance in developing an integrated system to protect both Guyana’s airspace and its EEZ. Theriot declined to elaborate, describing those discussions as confidential.
Theriot said the U.S. views Guyana as a regional leader and expects it to serve as a model for other CARICOM nations, particularly in countering narco-trafficking and transnational crime. She added that the Shield of the Americas coalition, which includes Guyana among 12 signatories, is designed to build member states’ capacity to independently defend their sovereignty.
SOURCE: News Source Guyana, “US to play key role in Guyana-Venezuela maritime border talks pending ICJ ruling,” March 31, 2026
