Guyana's President, Dr Irfaan Ali, and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo have congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on winning a fourth term as President of Brazil. Dr Ali has described Brazil as a key neighbour in Guyana's regional diplomacy while the country waits for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on its border with Venezuela.
Lula won the runoff on 25 October with about 51.8 per cent of the vote against 48.2 per cent for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a margin of more than four million votes. Brazil's Superior Electoral Court confirmed the result. Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, had led the first round on 4 October with 47 per cent to Lula's 45. The BBC reported that Lula is the first president since the return to civilian rule in 1985 to win after finishing second in the opening round, and that his campaign worked to raise turnout after 33 million voters abstained in the first round. Bolsonaro has refused to recognise the outcome and has called for the election to be annulled.
Dr Ali posted his congratulations on Sunday, saying the result would allow Lula and his party to build on the progress of the previous term. He described a long-standing friendship and cooperation between the two countries and said he expected to work with Lula on regional integration and on expanding trade and investment. Mr Jagdeo, who has been Vice President since 2020, posted a message on Monday saying the years in which he and Lula worked together remained fond memories, and that he placed high value on the friendship and cooperation between Guyana and Brazil.
The messages come while the Essequibo border dispute with Venezuela is still before the court. Guyana asks the ICJ to confirm the boundary fixed by an arbitral tribunal in Paris in 1899. Venezuela claims the Essequibo region, which makes up more than two thirds of Guyana's territory, and does not recognise the court's jurisdiction. Hearings in the case have concluded, and the court has yet to deliver its judgment. Dr Ali told the UN General Assembly on 24 September that Guyana would abide by the forthcoming judgment and urged Venezuela to do likewise. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry also congratulated Lula on his victory.
On Monday, at the Caribbean Shipping Association conference, reporters asked Dr Ali whether Guyana was intensifying its diplomatic efforts and building a broader framework to press Venezuela to abide by the ruling. He said a great deal of work had gone on behind the scenes throughout the year, including his international travel. A central part of the strategy, he said, was making sure that countries in the region understand Guyana's position. Narratives on the issue can change quickly, he added, and the language used to discuss it matters.
When questioned on the part Brazil and Colombia play in those efforts, Dr Ali singled out Brazil as a key country. He pointed to its geographical position and institutional capacity, and said the extent of its influence in the region is widely recognised. Brazil borders both Guyana and Venezuela, and Georgetown's approach depends on neighbouring governments accepting the court's eventual decision. Brasília's standing in South American institutions gives its view on that question particular weight.
Dr Ali was also asked whether he was optimistic that Brazil could be persuaded to join the "Shield of the Americas", a security and political initiative associated with US President Donald Trump. According to The Washington Post, Bolsonaro had pledged during the campaign to take Brazil into it. Dr Ali said discussions were continuing. He observed that Brazil's attention over the past year had been heavily taken up by the election and that, with its political situation now settled, a deeper discussion was possible.
