Guyana’s president wins 2nd term in office

BOGOTA, Colombia

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali has secured a second five-year term in office, the country’s Elections Commission confirmed over the weekend.

"The victory of the People’s Progressive Party is a vindication of our stellar record over the years,” Ali said Saturday.

In the Sept. 1 election, the PPP secured more than 240,000 votes, roughly 55% of the popular vote, guaranteeing him a majority in parliament with 36 seats. The party also won eight of the country’s 10 electoral districts, beating its longtime opponent, A Partnership for National Unity.

With a population of around 800,000, Guyana now has one of the highest levels of proven crude oil reserves per capita in the world, which Ali said he would use to support social programs in the South American country.

According to a 2024 report by the Inter-American Development Bank, 58% of Guyanese live in poverty, despite an oil boom that has quadrupled the state budget to $6.7 billion since production began in 2019.

Ali's victory comes amid tensions with neighboring Venezuela over oil reserves in the disputed Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory. The dispute between the neighboring countries has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered massive offshore oil deposits in Essequibo a decade ago, which has been administered by Guyana for over 100 years.

After Venezuela held a national referendum in December 2023 on the dispute, voters overwhelmingly supported the establishment of a new Venezuelan province called Guyana Esequiba.

The government of Venezuela passed a law in March 2024 that prohibits maps of the country that do not include the disputed Essequibo region as part of Venezuelan territory, while the International Court of Justice said Venezuela must refrain from conducting or preparing to conduct elections in the disputed territory. The Venezuelan government has said it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ.

The latest election took place after Guyanese police said a boat carrying election officials and ballot boxes was shot at "from the Venezuelan shore" in the contested Essequibo region. While Venezuela denied being responsible for the incident, it highlighted the ongoing dispute over competing claims to the oil-rich area.

In a congratulatory statement, the US affirmed its support for Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity, particularly in the Essequibo region. It said it looks forward to working with Ali's government to advance shared priorities, including strengthening energy security.