Guyana has formally requested the International Court of Justice to intervene and prevent Venezuela from proceeding with its plans to conduct elections in the disputed Esequibo region. The Guyanese foreign ministry highlighted that holding a vote would contravene a prior court ruling.
Venezuela is preparing for provincial elections on May 25, which include state governor positions. Despite the ongoing ICJ case regarding the ownership of Esequibo and a 2023 mandate that Venezuela refrain from altering the territory's status quo, the Maduro government established a law for the disputed area last year.
Guyana insisted that the ICJ should bar Venezuela from holding elections in the 160,000-square-km region, citing a blatant violation of the 2023 court order. Urgent hearings were also requested to prevent significant and irreversible harm to Guyana's rights.
Venezuela's communications ministry has not yet responded to the request for comment. Recent tensions escalated when a Venezuelan coast guard patrol reportedly entered Guyana's waters and approached an ExxonMobil-operated oil vessel in an offshore block last weekend.
Venezuela claimed that the waters entered are subject to maritime zone delineation following international law protocols. A conclusive ICJ resolution on the dispute may prolong over several years.