Home Politics Venezuelan politician against country’s planned referendum on Guyana’s Essequibo region

Venezuelan politician against country’s planned referendum on Guyana’s Essequibo region

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Venezuelan politician, Eduardo Fernández, has urged the Nicolas Maduro government to resolve the ongoing Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) instead of holding a referendum.

Fernández, who is the President of the Center for Public Policy, described the planned December 3 referendum as a mistake during a television conversation with InfoCifras TV in Venezuela.

For the politician, the planned referendum, and the questions posed through that, distance the Spanish-speaking country from an unfolding process rooted in international law. So instead, he suggested that the Maduro government adhere to that process.

“That is a mistake because the ICJ is not a threat to Venezuelans but an opportunity.

Venezuelan politician, Eduardo Fernández (Photo: Facebook/

“It is there where we must defend the rights of Venezuela and what the Government has to do is convene a large commission where there are competent people, it does not matter if they are adversaries or friends of the Government, but who know about the issue,” he emphasised.

So far, Venezuela has not been keen on participating in the judicial process unfolding at the World Court. It is now moving towards a consultative referendum on December 3- just next month- seeking the support of citizens in continuation of its claim of Guyana’s Essequibo region.

Guyana views the move as an affront to the ongoing juridical process currently before the ICJ. The referendum has been criticised widely including by the Secretary Generals of the United Nations and Organization of American (OAS), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Next week, the ICJ will hear arguments against this referendum from Guyana.

The borders of Guyana and Venezuela were determined by an arbitral tribunal on October 3, 1899, and Venezuela inherited 13,000 square kilometres of Guyana’s territory (then under British rule).

The ICJ already found that it has the jurisdiction to hear the border controversy case and Guyana believes it will get a favourable ruling.

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1 COMMENT

  1. The Government of Venezuela in1899 was allocated and gifted with 13,000 square kilometres of territory that was then under the strong and effective jurisdiction and control of then British Guiana as a quid pro quo for concluding the 1899 boundary agreement that was acceptable to and supported unconditionally and without any reservations by both parties.
    There are strong, credible, legitimate voices now being heard and gaining traction in Venezuela that are critical and opposed to:
    1. the reneging by Venezuela of the jurisdiction of ICJ to determine the legal status of the 1899 boundary as well as its potential non-appearance and participation;
    2. the holding of an illegal and premature Consultative Referendum in the National Legislature in Caracas that is an affront to and compromises the current status of the proceedings of the ICJ;
    3. that infringes both International Law and the customary dictats of the UN Charter;
    4. that authorises by domestic law illegal interference in the internal affairs of Guyana that lies squarely within the domain of international law exclusively;
    5. the said referendum that threatens the peace and security of the Region that is a UN Declared Zone of Peace’;
    6. the use of illegal force except in self defence to invade and annexe the territory of a foreign neighbouring state of Guyana which territory and the claim to it by both parties are before the judicial process of the ICJ at the specific request of the Secretary-General of the UN with both parties as litigants; and
    7. Guyana is forced to seek injunctive relief by way of an application for the Issuance of Provisional Measures resulting from the decision of Venezuela to conduct an illegal Consultative Referendum that is inconsistent with and infringes the spirit and law of the current litigation being held at ICJ.
    The clearly established and effectively communicated position of the Government of Guyana from which there is no scope for digressing but unanimously articulated in the National Assembly debate held on November 6 is as follows:

    “Guyana insists, as does CARICOM, the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and Organization of American States, and the entire international community, that the controversy over the validity of the Arbitral Award and the land boundary must be resolved by the International Court of Justice, which will assure a just, peaceful, binding and permanent solution to this matter, in accordance with international law…”
    Any attempt to sway the Government of Guyana from its unwavering commitment to total support for the validity the ICJ process and a resumption of diplomacy whether bilateral or multilateral will be unconditionally rejected as Guyana is too far advanced in the ICJ process to turn back the clock now…”
    The position of the Government of Guyana on the proposed illegal Consultative Referendum scheduled to be held on 3 December 2023 when five questions will be placed before the Asemblea Nacional is:
    ‘…Guyana is of the considered view, that the impending referendum slated for the 3rd of December, 2023 is intended to and will compromise the legal proceedings pending at the International Court of Justice, if not subvert the legal process altogether and prejudice its outcome…” (Nandlal)
    It is to be noted that a former Ambassador of Venezuela to Georgetown also advocated that Venezuela should submit itself and the validity of its imperialistic land-grabbing and maritime outlandish claim to the Essequibo Region to the jurisdiction of the ICJ:
    He said: “…Now, the responsible thing is to prepare ourselves with the support of the best national and international experts, to defend at the ICJ, our position that the 1899 award is null.”( Venezuela former Ambassador to Georgetown)

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