GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) 鈥� A Guyanese soldier was wounded following a gunfight with armed men in that occurred along their shared border, authorities said.
The Defense Force said in a statement that a patrol vessel on the Cuyuni River came under fire late Friday.
It is the latest of several bloody clashes in recent years as tensions remain high over Venezuela鈥檚 claim to two-thirds of Guyana鈥檚 territory. One previous attack wounded eight Guyanese soldiers.
The two countries appeared earlier this month in The Hague for arguments in a dispute over a 62,000-square-mile (160,000-square-kilometer) territory that is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It鈥檚 also located near currently producing an average 900,000 barrels a day.
Venezuela鈥檚 acting President Delcy Rodr铆guez has told judges in The Hague that political negotiations and not a judicial ruling will resolve the .
Venezuela considers Essequibo its territory because the region was within its boundaries during the colonial period. It argues that a 1966 Geneva agreement among Venezuela, Britain and then-British Guiana, now Guyana, nullified a border drawn in 1899 by international arbitrators.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
