Venezuela Voters reject ICJ jurisdiction territorial dispute

Venezuela votes to assert control over disputed region, rejecting ICJ jurisdiction and supporting creation of Guyana Esquiba state.

The people of Venezuela have spoken, and they have voted to assert their claim of sovereignty over the Essequibo region. This move signifies their support for taking control of the disputed area, which is rich in oil and makes up two-thirds of Guyana. In doing so, they are rejecting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and backing the creation of the Guyana Esquiba state, which would become part of Venezuelan territory.

The dispute over the Essequibo region has been ongoing for a long time, but tensions escalated in October when Guyana requested provisional measures with the ICJ. They claimed that the Venezuelan government's referendum was a tactic to abandon the proceedings and annex the territory into Venezuela. The ICJ responded to Guyana's request by ordering Venezuela to refrain from any actions that could alter the current situation in the disputed territory. However, the court did not explicitly order the cancellation of the referendum, so it went ahead as planned.

During the referendum, Venezuelan voters were asked five questions, with the main focus being on endorsing Venezuela's claim over the region, rejecting the ICJ's jurisdiction, opposing Guyana's use of the offshore area, and supporting the Essequibo region's incorporation into Venezuela as a state. The head of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, reported that over 10 million votes had been counted, although there is some debate over whether this figure refers to the number of questions answered or the number of voters.

There is now uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the referendum results. Rocío San Miguel, the President of Citizen Control for Security, Defense, and the National Armed Forces, has expressed concerns about whether Venezuela will completely abandon defending the case before the ICJ or continue to attend the hearings. The future steps in this ongoing dispute remain to be seen.