/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/F3RKSPTJDNKMDEVLMNHJE4RSJQ.jpg "Guyana will stay alert after Venezuela vote on territorial dispute -VP")
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan National Assembly’s President Jorge Rodriguez, and Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, head of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), attended an event at the National Electoral Council (CNE) following a referendum in which voters rejected the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) jurisdiction over a territorial dispute.
CARACAS, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana stated on Monday that his country will remain vigilant following a Venezuelan referendum that rejected an international court’s jurisdiction over a territorial dispute between the neighboring countries. Guyana faced bilateral tensions over the potentially oil-rich Esequibo region in recent weeks before the five-question referendum, which Guyana had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bar.
The U.S. State Department stated its support for a peaceful resolution of the dispute and emphasized that the issue could not be solved by a referendum. Venezuelans voted in favor of rejecting ICJ jurisdiction over the dispute and for the creation of a new state in Esequibo. Analysts suggested that the vote was a way for President Nicolas Maduro to gauge his government’s support ahead of a 2024 presidential election.
The ICJ has prohibited Venezuela from taking any action that would change the status quo in the region. However, a court ruling on the overall dispute could take years. President Maduro assured Caribbean countries that Venezuela will not invade the region, but Guyana remains vigilant and will not let its guard down.
Jagdeo, speaking from Dubai where he is attending the Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate summit, stated that the leadership in Guyana cannot solely rely on assurances from the Maduro government and must be prepared for any eventuality. He urged Guyanese citizens to remain calm and emphasized that the country has ramped up defense coordination with allies.
Venezuela has reactivated its claim over the 160,000 square km (61,776 square mile) territory around the Esequibo river in recent years following the discovery of offshore oil and gas. The maritime border between the two countries is also in dispute.
According to Venezuela’s electoral authority, all questions in the referendum passed with over 95% approval and at least 10.5 million votes were cast for ‘yes’. However, the head of the authority clarified on Monday that the 10.5 million figure applied to voters, not votes. Jagdeo called the vote “rigged” and questioned the turnout figures.
Maduro stated at an event on Monday that “popular mandate is sacred” and that is the path with which he would take all of his actions as the head of state. He added that “a new era in the fight for our Guayana Esequiba has begun” and Venezuela will recover its historical rights.