Venezuela has “categorically” rejected a ruling from the United Nations’ top court ordering it to halt upcoming elections for officials intended to govern the disputed Essequibo region, a territory claimed by both Venezuela and neighboring Guyana.
In a statement released Friday, the government of President Nicolás Maduro firmly opposed the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) authority over the matter, insisting that international law does not permit the court to “interfere” in what it deems internal Venezuelan affairs.
“Nothing in international law allows the International Court of Justice to interfere in matters that are the exclusive domain of Venezuelan domestic law, nor to seek to prohibit a sovereign act,” the government said.
The ICJ ruling, issued Thursday from The Hague at Guyana’s request, seeks to block Venezuela from proceeding with its planned May 25 elections for a governor and other officials to oversee the Essequibo region. Guyana had argued that the move violated a previous court order and would cause “irreparable harm” to the contested area, which makes up about two-thirds of its national territory and is home to roughly 125,000 of the country’s 800,000 citizens.
Venezuela, however, has maintained that the Essequibo “is an inalienable part of the Venezuelan territory and a legacy of our liberators.” The statement continued: “Its defense is a historical, constitutional, and a moral mandate that unites the entire Bolivarian Homeland. No international pressure, judicial blackmail, or foreign tribunal will make us back down from this conviction.”
The Essequibo region is rich in gold, diamonds, timber, and other valuable natural resources. It also lies adjacent to substantial offshore oil reserves that have drawn increased international attention, with Guyana’s current production averaging around 650,000 barrels per day.
Venezuela claims the territory based on maps from the Spanish colonial era and has long rejected the 1899 arbitration decision that awarded Essequibo to what was then British Guiana. The issue has simmered for decades, with Guyana bringing the case before the ICJ in 2018, seeking a ruling that the 1899 border remains valid and binding. Venezuela contends that a 1966 agreement signed with the UK and Guyana effectively nullified that earlier ruling.
While the case is still pending, tensions continue to escalate. In December 2023, President Maduro threatened to annex Essequibo after Venezuelan voters approved a referendum on incorporating the region as a new state. Regional leaders, along with Brazil and the United Nations, quickly convened an emergency summit, where Guyana and Venezuela agreed to avoid the use of force.
Yet confrontations persist. In March, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali denounced what he described as an incursion by a Venezuelan naval vessel into disputed waters containing major oil developments by ExxonMobil. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez dismissed the allegation and called ExxonMobil’s operations “illegal.”
Despite international pressure and the ICJ’s order, Venezuela appears determined to move forward with elections later this month. Voters are expected to select new governors and lawmakers, including for the contested Essequibo region.
