The Venezuelan government has strongly rejected a ruling by the United Nations’ top court- the International Court of Justice (ICJ)- that ordered it to halt planned elections in the Essequibo region, a territory that belongs to Guyana but is falsely being claimed by Venezuela.
In a statement released Friday, President Nicolás Maduro’s administration said it “categorically” rejected the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s decision, maintaining its longstanding refusal to recognise the court’s jurisdiction. Venezuela argued that international law does not give the ICJ authority to interfere in its domestic affairs, including electoral matters.
“Nothing in international law allows the International Court of Justice to interfere in matters that are the exclusive domain of Venezuelan domestic law,” the statement said. “No international pressure, judicial blackmail, or foreign tribunal will make us back down from this conviction.”
The ruling on Friday, May 2, came in response to a request from Guyana, which accused Venezuela of violating a previous ICJ order by preparing to hold elections on May 25 for a governor and other officials in the Essequibo region—an area that covers about two-thirds of Guyana’s national territory and is rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, timber, and offshore oil reserves.
Guyana warned the court that the elections could cause “irreparable harm” and amount to an attempt by Venezuela to assert sovereignty over the territory. Venezuela, in turn, maintains that the Essequibo has always been part of its national territory, pointing to historical claims dating back to the Spanish colonial era.
Venezuela over the years had disputed the validity of 3rd October 1899 Arbitral Award that was considered a “full, perfect, and final settlement” of the border dispute between the two countries. The ICJ is currently deliberating on the case, which the David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo- A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government-brought before the Court in 2018 seeking confirmation of the 1899 boundary.
In late 2023, Maduro held a controversial referendum in which Venezuelans were asked whether Essequibo should be declared a Venezuelan state. Following the vote, he threatened annexation by force. The Maduro government is moving ahead with a nationwide vote later this month, which includes races for governors and lawmakers, potentially extending to officials meant to govern the disputed Essequibo region.
Meanwhile, the Irfaan Ali government has failed to galvanize a weary and fractured nation into a united, forceful stand against Venezuela’s aggressive and escalating campaign. For many Guyanese, the border dispute feels distant—overshadowed by the harsh realities of daily survival. The soaring cost of living, exclusion from the country’s oil wealth, deepening political and economic marginalisation, and rising police brutality have left citizens disillusioned and disengaged.