Top Republican in U.S. Congress Slams Delcy Rodriguez’s comments at the ICJ, Condemns Venezuelan Territorial Threats

United States Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar has issued a forceful statement in support of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, directly challenging Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez over their continued threats to Guyana’s territorial sovereignty.

Congresswoman Salazar, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, delivered the rebuke via social media, warning that attempts to manipulate or deceive President Donald Trump over the border controversy would not succeed. She drew a sharp contrast between the governance records of Venezuela and Guyana, asserting that Guyana had managed its oil wealth responsibly — establishing a sovereign wealth fund and achieving remarkable economic growth, with GDP per capita reportedly quadrupling over a five-year period.

“Delcy should stop threatening Guyana and start learning from it,” Congresswoman Salazar stated, in what amounts to one of the most direct expressions of U.S. Congressional support for Georgetown in the ongoing border controversy.

The Congresswoman’s remarks come amid sustained Venezuelan pressure on Guyana’s internationally recognised borders, including Venezuela’s egregious claim over Essequibo, which comprises approximately two-thirds of Guyana’s land territory. The matter is currently the subject of proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with Guyana asserting the full force of international law in defence of its borders.

Salazar’s intervention carries significant institutional weight. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, she holds direct oversight responsibility for U.S. foreign policy in the Caribbean and Latin America, and her public alignment with Guyana signals continued bipartisan support in Washington for the country’s territorial integrity.

Guyana has consistently maintained that the boundary between the two nations was definitively settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award, a position upheld by successive governments and supported by the international community. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has continued to pursue resolution through lawful multilateral channels.

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