Events in the year 2023 in

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Incumbents

* President: Irfaan Ali * Prime Minister: Mark Phillips

Events

Ongoing —

COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana The COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Guyana on 11 March 2020. The first case wa ...

* 6 April – The International Court of Justice rules that the case of territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over

Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.

can proceed. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali welcomes the decision and commits Guyana to solve the dispute peacefully. Venezuela had earlier rejected the ruling, alleging that the case cannot be heard without the involvement of the United Kingdom, Guyana's former colonial power. * 22 May – 2023 Mahdia school fire: At least 20 children are killed during a fire at a school in Mahdia. * 15 November – Venezuela announces that it will proceed with a referendum on the status of

Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.

, despite

's petition to stop the referendum from being held. * 26 November – Guyanese President Irfaan Ali visits the region of

Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.

and hoists the Guyanese flag, amid heightening tensions with Venezuela over the territory. Venezuela calls the action a "provocation". * 6 December – GDF Bell 412 Helicopter crash – A Guyana Defence Force helicopter goes missing while on a border operation near the border with Venezuela. * 7 December – The Guyanese government confirms that five military officers who were in a Bell 412EP helicopter that crashed near the border with Venezuela have died and that two others survived the crash. The helicopter went missing on Wednesday during bad weather conditions. It is the deadliest incident in Guyanese military history. * 8 December – Amid growing border tensions between Guyana and Venezuela, the U.S. embassy in Guyana announces that the United States Southern Command will conduct joint flight operations with the Guyana Defence Force. * 9 December – 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis: The United Nations Security Council holds a closed-door meeting on the ongoing crisis between Venezuela and

over the Guayana Esequiba Region, but takes no immediate action. * 12 December – 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis: A meeting is to be held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday to discuss the ongoing dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. Both countries will try to prevent the crisis escalating into an

armed conflict War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...

. * 14 December –

Venezuelan President The president of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de Venezuela), officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the head of state and head of government in Ven ...

Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and president of Venezuela since 2013, with his presidency under dispute since 2019. Beginning his working life as a bus driver, Maduro rose to become a trade unio ...

and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali hold talks in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Both leaders agree to neither use threats nor force against the other. A joint commission is announced to address the existing issues, with a report expected within three months. * 24 December – The United Kingdom announces that it will deploy the patrol vessel HMS ''Trent'' off the coast of

amid Guyana's dispute with Venezuela over the Essequibo region.

Deaths

*29 January – Gordon Rohlehr, literary scholar and critic (born 1942).

References

{{South America topic, 2023 in 2020s in Guyana Years of the 21st century in Guyana

Incumbents

Events

Deaths

See also

References