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On May 1, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave a new order in response to Guyana’s request. Guyana had asked the court to act after Venezuela said in January it would hold elections for a governor and council in the Essequibo region.
Venezuela calls this area “Guayana Esequiba,” but it is controlled and run by Guyana.
In its new order, the ICJ:
- Unanimously repeated its earlier decision from December 1, 2023. That earlier order told Venezuela not to change anything in the disputed area.
- By 12 votes to 3, the court added a new rule:
Venezuela must not hold or prepare to hold elections in the area until the case is fully decided.
In December 2023, the court had already said:
- Venezuela must not do anything to change the situation in the disputed land. Right now, Guyana controls it.
- Both countries must avoid doing anything that makes the conflict worse or harder to solve.
Guyana’s government says it supports international law and peaceful solutions. It wants the ICJ to decide the case based on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which originally set the boundary between the two countries.
Guyana is asking Venezuela to respect the ICJ’s decisions, which are legally binding. It also wants Venezuela to stop threatening Guyana’s borders and peace in the region.
The disputes about the border appear to be primarily because Venezuela would like to lay its hands on offshore petrocarbons that are currently delineated as being in Guyana’s waters.
Source: Guyana PIS.
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