The government of the neighboring South American nation harshly denounced on April 4, 2024, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s decision to enact into law the outcome of a recent vote asserting sovereignty over two-thirds of Guyana. The bill’s content was not made available to the public immediately after the announcement.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana declared that it will not cede any territory to Venezuela, branding the action that targets the western Essequibo area of Guyana as an “egregious violation of the most fundamental principles of international law.”
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Declaring that the territory, which comprises two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in minerals and oil, was stolen when the boundary was formed more than a century ago, Maduro conducted a referendum early in December to assert sovereignty over the area.
Lately, Maduro commemorated the referendum with a signing ceremony, a “stellar and historic moment.”
“The decision of December 3 has now become the Law of the Republic, to form part of the legal structure of the internal political and institutional movement of our country,” Maduro tweeted on X formerly known as Twitter on the day of the signing ceremony.
“The decision made by the Venezuelans in the consultative referendum will be fulfilled in all its parts, and with this Law, we will continue the defense of Venezuela on international stages.”
A few hours later, the government of Guyana reacted sharply: “If Venezuela wants to contest title to the territory in question, the proper forum is the International Court of Justice.”
The argument that Venezuelan authorities should have control over Essequibo is not well understood.
The selection of an Essequibo governor, according to Maduro, will stay in his hands until the conflict is settled, and the National Assembly will continue to be the territory’s legislative body. He didn’t give any further information.
Tensions have been high between Guyana and Venezuela over the region for many years, and they grew even more intense in 2015 when large oil resources were discovered in offshore regions across the disputed territory close to Guyana’s coast.
Guyana brought the issue to the top court of the United Nations in 2018, requesting a ruling that an 1899 boundary decision is legitimate and legally enforceable. Venezuela, meanwhile, maintains that the initial arbitration was void due to an agreement from 1966. Before the end of the year, a court decision is not anticipated.
