Guyana, Venezuela on homestretch for final, binding ICJ judgement on Essequibo

Last Updated on Monday, 11 August 2025, 22:02 by Writer

Venezuela on Monday filed its final written pleadings to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Guyana’s case over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal land boundary award after decades of an unresolved controversy, paving the way for a final and binding judgement by mid-2026.

Venezuela’s filing of its rejoinder to Guyana’s reply in December 2024, “constitutes the final written pleading in the case”, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, indicating that the case was now slowly drawing to a close.

“In accordance with its standard procedures, the Court, upon returning from its summer recess, will schedule oral hearings on the merits of the case, to be followed by its deliberations and the issuance of its final judgment, which will be binding on the parties under international law,” the foreign ministry added.

The foreign ministry said the ICJ notified the Guyana government of Venezuela’s filing of the rejoinder within the time-limit fixed by the Court in its Order of 14 June 2024.

“Guyana welcomes the filing of the rejoinder by Venezuela, which ensures that the Court will have before it all the factual and legal arguments of both Parties when it issues its final judgement, rendering it fully authoritative and incontestable,” the ministry added.

Guyana says it remains steadfastly committed to the peaceful resolution of this controversy in accordance with international law by the ICJ — the world’s highest and most respected judicial authority.

While Venezuela has been participating in the ICJ case, politically the Nicolás Maduro-led administration has maintained that Venezuela does not recognise the ICJ’s jurisdiction in the case. By the Venezuelan government’s interpretation of the Geneva Agreement, it believes that the only means of settling the border controversy is through bilateral negotiations.

Guyana maintains that the 1899 Award is final and binding, but Venezuela continues to lay claim to the 160,000 square kilometer region.

Over the years, Venezuela had intercepted or chased out seismic research ships and Guyanese fishing vessels from the Atlantic sea offshore Essequibo.

Earlier this year, a Venezuelan naval vessel had entered the Stabroek Block and communicated with production and exploration vessels, informing them that they were in Venezuelan waters not yet delimited with Guyana.

After four hours, the military vessel left without further incident.

Since then, the United States had sent a stern warning of tough action should Venezuela invade Guyana or attack ExxonMobil’s assets in the Stabroek Block.

The United Kingdom and France have also expressed solidarity with Guyana.