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2mo ago

Guyana Seeks UN Court Action to Halt Venezuelan Election in Disputed Essequibo Region

Guyana accuses Venezuela of violating prior ICJ ruling by planning elections in contested oil-rich territory.

A member of the National Assembly of the Assembly holds a map showing the disputed Esequibo region as part of Venezuela, as tensions between the Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up in recent weeks over a long-running territorial dispute, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
The disputed Essequibo region makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory and is home to 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens
Guyana's President Irfaan Ali speaks during a press conference in Argyle, St. Vincent, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Lucanus D. Ollivierre, File)

Overview

  • Guyana has filed a request with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop Venezuela from holding elections in the Essequibo region, which has been administered by Guyana for over a century.
  • The ICJ previously ruled in December 2023 that Venezuela must refrain from actions altering the status of the disputed territory, which represents two-thirds of Guyana's landmass.
  • Venezuela plans to hold elections on May 25 for a new state it claims to have created in the Essequibo region, based on a 2023 non-binding referendum supporting its territorial claim.
  • Tensions have escalated recently, with Guyana accusing Venezuelan naval vessels of threatening an ExxonMobil unit operating in maritime areas claimed by Guyana.
  • The territorial dispute, dating back to an 1899 arbitration ruling in favor of Guyana, has intensified since significant oil reserves were discovered in the Essequibo in 2015.