Guyana on Thursday requested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order Venezuela to halt its plans to hold elections in the disputed Esequibo region, asserting that such a vote would violate a prior court ruling.
The Guyanese foreign ministry made the request in response to Venezuela’s plans to conduct provincial elections, including for state governors, on May 25.
In 2023, the ICJ issued a ruling instructing Venezuela to refrain from any actions that would alter the status quo in the Esequibo region while the court considers which country has sovereignty over the territory. However, Venezuela’s government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, passed a law last year creating a new state within the disputed area, ignoring the ongoing legal proceedings. Guyana argues that holding elections in this region would “flagrantly violate” the 2023 ICJ order.
In its statement, Guyana urged the ICJ to prohibit Venezuela from moving forward with the elections, also requesting expedited hearings to prevent potential harm to its rights. The country warned that conducting elections in Esequibo could cause “serious and irremediable prejudice” to its claims over the territory.
Venezuela’s communications ministry has yet to respond to a request for comment on Guyana’s appeal.
Tensions between the two countries over Esequibo have escalated in recent days. Last weekend, Guyana reported that a Venezuelan coast guard patrol entered its waters and approached an offshore oil vessel operated by ExxonMobil in a block managed by the company. CARICOM, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France have all come to the defense of Guyana.
Venezuela, however, defended the move, stating that the waters in question are part of a maritime zone pending international legal delimitation.
The ICJ’s final decision on the decades-long territorial dispute could take years to resolve, leaving both nations in a state of legal uncertainty over the fate of Esequibo, a region that comprises more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.
