Venezuela holds consultative referendum on Essequibo territorial dispute with Guyana

Venezuela held a consultative national referendum on 3 December 2023, asking Venezuelan voters about five questions tied to its long-standing claim over the Essequibo region, a large, resource-rich territory that makes up about two-thirds of neighbouring Guyana’s land and has been the subject of a century-long border dispute. The ballot asked whether voters supported rejecting the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award that awarded the territory to British Guiana and whether they backed steps toward incorporating the area as a Venezuelan state called Guayana Esequiba and granting citizenship to residents under Venezuelan law. Venezuelan authorities declared that an overwhelming majority voted in favor of the government’s proposals. The referendum was non-binding, meaning it did not by itself change any borders, but Caracas portrayed it as a demonstration of domestic support for its claim. Guyana, supported by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other international partners, strongly condemned the referendum and reiterated that the dispute should be resolved through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is reviewing the border controversy and has ordered Venezuela to refrain from actions that would alter the status quo while proceedings continue. Guyanese officials also highlighted very high abstention rates in the vote and challenged the legitimacy of the referendum results.