ICJ orders Venezuela to halt election plans in Guyana’s Essequibo region
Key Points(5)
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday unanimously reaffirmed provisional measures initially granted in December 2023, ordering Venezuela to refrain from conducting or preparing to conduct elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
- The decision forms part of the substantive case before the ICJ concerning the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 — the ruling that established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela and has long been recognized as granting Guyana sovereignty over the Essequibo territory.
- Venezuela has recently issued notices introducing candidates for elections it intends to hold in Essequibo, a region it claims despite Guyana having exercised control there for over a century.
- The election, scheduled for May 25, 2025, is viewed by the Guyanese government as a violation of both the ICJ’s previous orders and international law.
- Guyana, maintaining that Essequibo is an integral part of its sovereign territory, welcomed the ICJ’s reaffirmation.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday unanimously reaffirmed provisional measures initially granted in December 2023, ordering Venezuela to refrain from conducting or preparing to conduct elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
The decision forms part of the substantive case before the ICJ concerning the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 — the ruling that established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela and has long been recognized as granting Guyana sovereignty over the Essequibo territory.
“Pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from conducting elections, or preparing to conduct elections, in the territory in dispute, which the Cooperative Republic of Guyana currently administers and over which it exercises control,” the ICJ stated in its ruling.
Venezuela has recently issued notices introducing candidates for elections it intends to hold in Essequibo, a region it claims despite Guyana having exercised control there for over a century. The election, scheduled for May 25, 2025, is viewed by the Guyanese government as a violation of both the ICJ’s previous orders and international law.
Guyana, maintaining that Essequibo is an integral part of its sovereign territory, welcomed the ICJ’s reaffirmation.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said, “Today, the International Court of Justice in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, Guyana v Venezuela, the Court unanimously reaffirmed the Provisional Measures granted on December 1, 2023, and directed that it be immediately and effectively implemented.
"The Court further ordered that pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela must refrain from conducting elections or preparing to conduct elections in the disputed territory which the Co-operative Republic of Guyana currently administers and over which it exercises control. Once again, Guyana’s position has prevailed. Once again, it has been demonstrated that Guyana position accords with international law. The Government of Guyana welcomes this decision.”
The ICJ’s latest order strengthens Guyana’s legal standing in the ongoing territorial dispute and adds pressure on Venezuela to cease its election activities in the disputed area.
