Venezuela's Rodriguez vows to defend claim against Guyana before ICJ
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Tuesday that Caracas will defend its claim to the Essequibo region before the International Court of Justice, as the long-running territorial dispute with Guyana moves toward oral hearings in The Hague.
Speaking in Carabobo, Rodriguez said Venezuela’s rights over Essequibo were “historical” and “irrefutable,” adding that Caracas would not accept what it sees as the theft of its territory. “There is no way that we would agree to dispossession or to legitimise a theft,” she said.
The ICJ is set to begin oral hearings on May 4 in the dispute over Essequibo, a resource-rich region administered by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela. Guyana is asking the court to uphold the 1899 arbitral award that fixed the current boundary, while Venezuela insists the matter should be handled under the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
Rodriguez also announced an oil production agreement with Italian energy firm Eni, saying it would support Venezuela’s economic recovery and public welfare. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, speaking at the same event, blamed U.S. sanctions for damaging the country’s economy and rejected claims that he holds assets abroad.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
