Venezuela to attend UN court’s Essequibo hearings as it rejects jurisdiction

Venezuela confirmed Saturday that it will attend hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 4 concerning the long-standing territorial dispute about the Essequibo region.

But the government made it clear that its presence does not mean a retreat from its rejection of the court's jurisdiction.

In a statement published on Telegram by Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, the interim government emphasized that it is attending the hearings in The Hague solely to "reveal the truth to the world" regarding its historical rights over the territory.

The administration led by Acting President Delcy Rodriguez reiterated that its participation "in no way implies consent or recognition" of the ICJ's authority to settle the matter. Caracas maintains that the process was "initiated unilaterally" by neighboring Guyana, which currently administers the resource-rich 160,000-square-kilometer (61,776-square-mile) strip of land.

The government anchored its defiant stance in the results of the Dec. 3, 2023, consultative referendum, in which Venezuelans voted to assert sovereignty over the region.

"Venezuela reaffirms that it does not recognize the Court's jurisdiction in the territorial dispute over Guayana Esequiba, nor any decision it may adopt on this matter," it said.

The dispute, which dates back to Venezuela's separation from Gran Colombia in 1830, was reignited in 2015 following the discovery of massive offshore oil reserves by ExxonMobil.

Georgetown relies on an 1899 arbitration award that granted the territory to the United Kingdom (then the colonial power). Guyana argues the boundaries were established by an 1814 pact with the Netherlands.

Caracas contends the 1899 ruling was a "political fix" between British and Russian jurists. Venezuela advocates for the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which called for a negotiated solution, and maintains that the Essequibo River is the natural border.

The Essequibo case has been a cornerstone of Rodriguez's political identity. She managed the Essequibo file as vice president before assuming the acting presidency role following the January capture of Nicolas Maduro.

The tension recently manifested during recent state visits to Grenada and Barbados, when Rodriguez pointedly wore a gold brooch featuring the map of Venezuela, including the disputed Essequibo region.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali condemned the gesture on Tuesday, calling the "prominent display of symbols" asserting territorial claims "deeply regrettable."