Guyana wants ICJ to block Venezuela’s plans to elect governor for Essequibo

Mar 07, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- Guyana has filed in the registry of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a request for provisional measures in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 between Guyana and Venezuela.

Guyana wants ICJ to block Venezuela’s plans to elect governor for Essequibo

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd

The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday said that the request comes as a result of Venezuela’s announcement of its plans to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region, which is an integral part of the country’s national territory.

The Ministry noted that Venezuela intent to annex an area is in violation of the Court’s Order of December 1, 2023 and the fundamental norms of international law.

According to the Ministry, Guyana has informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on May 25, 2025 and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory.

As a result, in order to preserve its rights, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Guyana is requesting that the Court orders Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region.

Further, Guyana requested the Court to convene hearings on its request as soon as possible, to enable such provisional measures as might be indicated by the Court to be issued before serious and irremediable prejudice to Guyana’s rights occurs.

This is the second time Guyana has sought provisional measures from the Court.

Guyana’s first request resulted in the Court’s Order of December 1, 2023, in which it ordered: “Unanimously, pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.”

As a result, the statement from the Ministry noted that Guyana considers Venezuela’s plan to hold elections in “the territory in dispute” a flagrant violation of this Order.

“Guyana’s current request seeks confirmation of this by the Court, as well as an explicit directive to refrain from any electoral activities within or affecting this territory or its population, which consist of Guyanese nationals,” the statement outlined.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters that Guyana will continue to pursue a lawful outcome from the ICJ. He noted too that Guyana continues to hold international support on the border controversy.

He asserted: “You’ve seen the International Community come out against the move by Venezuela including CARICOM so our positions are known, we will pursue this at the ICJ. It’s contrary to the provisional rulings of the ICJ. We will continue with all of our partners. We have strong support from the United States State Department; we have it from the UK government, the French government, everyone… more importantly from CARICOM.”

Jagdeo said that all of Guyana’s neighbours agree that Venezuela’s latest actions are not only a breach of that peace agreement but the orders of the ICJ. He said Venezuela is in a weak position and has exhibited it by some of the comments made by its top officials.

“The rant by several top officials in Venezuela by calling President Ali, Zelensky is so infantile. I think, somehow in their warp framework of analysis, they think if they were to do that, that somehow it may change the US longstanding support for Guyana on the border issue but it’s such an infantile, childlike like rant…”

(Guyana wants ICJ to block Venezuela’s plans to elect governor for Essequibo)

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border controversy, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Guyana, ICJ, Venezuela

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