Interim President Delcy Rodríguez challenged the court’s jurisdiction in the oil-rich Essequibo dispute in The Hague. He insists on a bilateral solution with Guyana.
The Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, attended the hearing of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Monday, where the long-standing dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo region is being resolved. Rodríguez rejected the court’s authority to intervene in the matter, stressing that the only possible solution is direct bilateral negotiations between the two countries. According to her, it is necessary to seek “creative and mutually beneficial solutions” through high-level dialogue.
- The interim president of Venezuela rejected the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
- Venezuela and Guyana have been fighting over the Essequibo region for more than a century.
- The discovery of large oil deposits off Guyana in 2015 significantly increased tensions.
- Venezuela declared Essequibo as its future twenty-fourth state by referendum.
- US special forces have dramatically removed President Maduro, deepening the political crisis.
Spor o Essequibo
Essequibo, a region rich in natural resources, has been the subject of dispute for more than a century. Guyana, a former British and Dutch colony, claims that the boundaries of the region were clearly determined by an arbitration tribunal in 1899. However, Venezuela does not recognize this verdict and argues that the natural border between the two countries is the Essequibo River, as recognized as early as 1777. Tensions between the countries increased significantly in 2015 when the American company ExxonMobil discovered significant oil deposits in Guyana. The situation further escalated in 2023 when Guyana began auctioning off oil fields in the disputed region, which Caracas sees as a provocation.
Venezuelan attitude
In response to Guyana’s actions, Venezuela held a referendum to claim the Essequibo region as its 24th federal state. However, the International Court of Justice called the move a violation of the status quo and called on Venezuela to refrain from any unilateral measures. However, Rodríguez declared in The Hague that her participation in the hearing does not mean recognition of the jurisdiction of the MSD in the matter. According to her, the priority is to show the world “the truth about Venezuela’s rights” to the region.
### The Guyanese view
Guyana, on the other hand, has described the Essequibo dispute as an existential issue as the region accounts for more than 70 percent of its territory. Guyanese officials stressed that the MSD’s decision will be crucial for the country’s future. Despite the fact that the decisions of the MSD are legally binding, Rodríguez has already announced that Venezuela will not respect them.
A long way to a decision
According to AFP, it could take months to years for the MSD to issue a final verdict. Meanwhile, the Essequibo issue remains one of the most significant geopolitical disputes in the region. The visit to The Hague was also Rodríguez’s first foreign trip outside of South America and the Caribbean since the dramatic removal of President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela by US special forces. This incident further deepened the political crisis in the country and increased international attention to the situation in Venezuela.
