Guyana asks ICJ to block Venezuela from engaging in electoral activities in Essequibo

Last Updated on Thursday, 6 March 2025, 21:13 by Writer

Guyana on Thursday asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to block Venezuela from engaging in electoral activities, even as the two countries have a pending border case before that judicial body.

“Guyana informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on 25 May 2025 and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory. Therefore, in order to preserve its rights, Guyana is requesting that the Court order Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Venezuela, based on a so-called referendum, has included Guyana’s Essequibo Region, as part of its official map. That western neighbour now plans to hold elections for a Governor and Legislative Council, for among other areas the Essequibo Region.

Following is the full text of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.

Guyana requests the Court to indicate provisional measures in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wishes to inform that today, 6 March 2025, Guyana filed in the Registry of the International Court of Justice a Request for the indication of provisional measures in the case concerning Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela), prompted by Venezuela’s announcement of its plans to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region, which is an integral part of Guyana’s national territory, and which Venezuela purported to annex in violation of the Court’s Order of 1 December 2023 and fundamental norms of international law.

Guyana informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on 25 May 2025 and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory. Therefore, in order to preserve its rights, Guyana is requesting that the Court order Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region.

This is the second time Guyana has sought provisional measures from the Court. Guyana’s first request resulted in the Court’s Order of 1 December 2023, in which it ordered:

“(1) Unanimously,

Pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area;”

Guyana considers that Venezuela’s plan to hold elections in “the territory in dispute” flagrantly violates this Order. Guyana’s current request seeks confirmation of this by the Court, as well as an explicit directive to refrain from any electoral activities within or affecting this territory or it population, which consist of Guyanese nationals.

Guyana further requested the Court to convene hearings on its request as soon as possible, to enable such provisional measures as might be indicated by the Court to be issued before serious and irremediable prejudice to Guyana’s rights occurs.