GUYANA has approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking several provisions which could, in effect, cause Venezuela to change course on aspects of its planned December 3 2023 referendum on the Essequibo border controversy.
Venezuela, through its legislators, agreed to proceed with a referendum that would seek to ratify the Venezuelan government’s push to pull away from the ICJ’s judicial proceedings, and instead proceed unilaterally to incorporate the Essequibo region into its own national territory.
Today, Guyana approached the world court to secure five (5) provisions with the aim of convincing Venezuela to “not proceed with the Consultative Referendum planned for 3 December 2023 in its present form”.
In an October 24 statement on the matter, Venezuela’s government said: “the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in full exercise of its powers, has decided to consult the people of Venezuela, the main lines of legal, diplomatic and political actions, in order to assert the legitimate rights over the territory of Guayana Esequiba.
“The insistent refusal of diplomatic dialogue, by the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, threatens a dangerous escalation to a large-scale conflict, promoted by the United States Southern Command.”
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of American States (OAS)’s Secretary General and other international stakeholders have come out to criticize Venezuela for its action, which threatens the stability of peace on the region.
Today, Guyana urged the court, among other things, to consider actions which restrict Venezuela from exercising “sovereignty or de factor control over any territory that was awarded to British Guiana in the 1899 Arbitral Award,” and that Venezuela should “refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.”
A historic meeting of legislators will be held here in Guyana on Friday where lawmakers from both sides of the political divide will speak jointly on the subject, underscoring Guyana’s territorial integrity and right over the Essequibo region.