Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez has urged Guyana to negotiate a solution to the long-standing territorial dispute over the Guyana-Essequibo region. In a message posted on her Telegram channel, she said: “Any effective solution must be the result of negotiations between the two parties“.
Rodriguez rejected Guyana's actions before the International Court of Justice and described the 1899 Paris Arbitration as fraudulent. "127 years after the fraudulent Paris Arbitration Award, which seeks to deprive us of a significant part of our territory, we reaffirm Venezuela's historic position with respect to our region of Guiana-Essequibo," she wrote.
The Venezuelan side insists that the 1966 Geneva Agreement is the only valid legal instrument for settling the dispute. The document provides for the achievement of a "practical, satisfactory and mutually acceptable" solution through agreements between the parties.
Guyana awaits the decision of the International Court of Justice
Guyana, however, continues to defend its position before the International Court of Justice. President Irfaan Ali told the UN General Assembly that his country had resorted to the judicial procedure after decades of unsuccessful bilateral efforts and would abide by the court's upcoming decision. He called on Venezuela to do the same.
Guyana filed its application with the International Court of Justice on 29 March 2018, after the UN Secretary-General selected the court as the means of resolving the dispute under the Geneva Agreement. In December 2020, the court ruled that it had jurisdiction over the validity of the 1899 arbitration award and the final settlement of the land border between the two countries.
Oral hearings on the merits of the case concluded in May 2026. The court is expected to rule on whether the 1899 arbitration award established the valid international border between Venezuela and Guyana.
Oil has heightened tensions
The dispute covers the Essequibo region west of the Essequibo River. The territory makes up more than two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in natural resources. Tensions have risen sharply since the discovery of significant oil deposits off the Guyana coast in 2015 and the start of offshore projects involving „ExxonMobil“.
Venezuela does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice over the dispute, although it sent representatives to the hearings to state its historical position. Caracas continues to insist on a political and diplomatic solution, while Georgetown relies on the court's ruling.
In December 2023, a referendum was held in Venezuela on Essequibo. Following the referendum, the authorities in Caracas took steps to declare the region a Venezuelan administrative unit, which Guyana described as a threat to its territorial integrity.
Sources: EFE