On April 23, 2026, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd confirmed in an interview with local outlet Demerara Waves Online News that the country has recalled its High Commissioner to Canada, Keith George, who will now take up a new role as a senior advisor to Todd directly. While declining repeated questions about whether unstated personal factors contributed to the diplomat’s recall, Todd framed the move as a strategic adjustment tied to the rapidly expanding scope of Guyana’s diplomatic work, most notably the ongoing border dispute case the country has brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Venezuela.
According to unidentified sources, George left his Ottawa diplomatic posting back in September 2025 to travel home for the funeral of Elisabeth Harper, the former Permanent Secretary of Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs who passed away after a battle with cancer. He never resumed his post in Canada following that trip, the sources added. When pressed repeatedly on whether personal issues prompted his recall, Todd repeatedly declined to comment, eventually cutting short the phone interview before ending further discussion of the topic.
Instead of addressing speculation, Todd highlighted George’s decades of diplomatic experience and professional standing, describing the long-serving diplomat as an exceptional public servant with an unblemished, outstanding record of service to Guyana. “He served us well. There is nothing wrong with his record of service. I think he has done exemplary in terms of his diplomacy and in terms of his experience,” Todd told reporters.
Prior to his appointment as High Commissioner to Canada, George held the position of Director of Frontiers at Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving him deep specialized expertise in the long-running border dispute with Venezuela that is currently before the ICJ. That case centers on legal challenges to the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that established the current border between the two South American nations. It is this specific background that makes George a critical addition to the country’s legal and diplomatic team for the ICJ proceedings, Todd explained.
In recent months, Guyana’s ICJ legal team has lost two key figures: co-agents Elisabeth Harper and Sir Shridath Ramphal, both of whom have passed away. To fill these vacancies, the government has appointed Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and George as the new co-agents for the case. Carl Greenidge, a former minister under previous PNC and APNU+AFC administrations, will remain as Guyana’s lead agent for the proceedings.
Todd added that even while George was stationed in Canada, he remained an active member of the ICJ case working group. However, coordinating the complex work of the case remotely created significant logistical and operational challenges. Given George’s unparalleled institutional knowledge of the border dispute, bringing him back to headquarters to work on the case full-time was the most pragmatic decision for the country, the minister concluded.