Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro presented the result of the referendum and assured that “we will recover now”. Essequibo, the oil-rich region administered by its neighbor Guyana, which says it remains “vigilant.”
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The referendum organized on Sunday resulted in an “overwhelming victory” for +Yes+, especially on the fifth question: 96.33% of voters supported the integration of the disputed region into Venezuela.
Venezuela has claimed this territory (sometimes called Guayana Esequiba) for decades, covering 160,000 km2, which accounts for more than two-thirds of Guyana and is home to 125,000 people, or a fifth of its population. Due to recent oil discoveries in the region, Guyana is now one of the countries with the highest per capita reserves in the world.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is threatening to annex Guyana, a former British colony and member of the Commonwealth. He wants Guyana’s oil. Neither the UK nor the US have done enough to help Guyana deter aggression. If something happens we could well see Brits or Americans… pic.twitter.com/aqIWxId0uX
— Nicholas Drummond (@nicholadrummond) December 5, 2023
“Today, with the official results (…) yes, we will regain the historic rights of Venezuela and Guiana Esequiba, we will now obtain justice and defend ourselves with the strength of all in national unity,” Mr. Maduro declared during a ceremony Handover of the results of the referendum.
Maduro “unpredictable”
“The voice of the people is the voice of God and it was manifested on December 3rd. This is the path I will pursue as head of state,” he said. “This marks the beginning of a new phase in the fight for our Guayana Esequiba. We have a plan for the future.”
AFP
For his part, Guyana’s Foreign Minister Hugh Todd told AFP that his country intends to remain “vigilant.”
“We must always remain vigilant. While we do not believe that Nicolas Maduro “will order an invasion, we must be realistic about the environment in Venezuela and the fact that President Maduro can be very unpredictable.”
AFP
At the international level, Mr. Todd noted that his country continues its defense cooperation with the United States and other “strategic partners.”
He also stressed that his country is making “a diplomatic push” to persuade Venezuela to participate in the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations, whose jurisdiction Caracas does not recognize. But also to “stop the threats (from Caracas) to Guyana.”
AFP
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and his Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo have held talks in recent days, notably with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and representatives of international organizations.
Mr Todd also played down the significance of the referendum: “Turnout was low. It seems that Venezuelans have other priorities.
Official voter turnout was around 50%, according to National Electoral Council (CNE) President Elvis Amoroso, who described it as “unprecedented.”
AFP
That figure was met with skepticism by opposition leaders and analysts. Henrique Capriles, twice the opposition’s presidential candidate, notably continued to write
Opponents and observers also pointed out that there was apparently low voter turnout at the polling stations.
In response to the situation, the United States recalled “calling on Venezuela and Guyana to continue to seek a peaceful solution to their dispute.” “It is not a referendum that will solve the problem.”
AFP
“The number of votes has no meaning, the referendum has no impact on the process before the Court of Justice (ICJ),” said Mariano de Alba of the International Crisis Group.
“Consultations of this kind are not authoritative sources of law in international law,” recalls Guillermo Tell Aveledo, a professor at Metropolitan University.
Caracas believes that the Essequibo River should be the natural border, as it was in 1777 during the time of the Spanish Empire.
Guyana believes the border dates back to English colonial times and was ratified by an arbitration court in 1899. The country contacted the International Court of Justice to have it validated.