Venezuela x Guyana: What happens after the referendum is approved?
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, proposed to the country’s National Assembly this Tuesday (5) the creation of laws to create a Venezuelan province in Essequibo, a territory that today belongs to Guyana but is disputed by both countries. In addition, he also ordered the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA to issue licenses for oil and gas exploration in the region.
Maduro presented National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez with a bill establishing the state of “Guiana Esequiba” (as Venezuelans give the territory) and “implementing the decisions taken by the people in the consultative referendum.”
On Sunday (3), Venezuela held a referendum in which 95% of voters present voted for the country to include Essequibo on the Venezuelan map (more on this below).
The measures Maduro has proposed include:
- Beginning of debate in the National Assembly and adoption of the Organic Law for the Defense of Esequiba Guyana.
- The creation of a sector of the stateowned company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) for Essequibo and the granting of licenses for gas, oil and mining exploration.
- A social assistance plan for the population of Guyana Esequiba, conducting a census and issuing identity cards to residents.
- The creation of a High Commission for the Defense of Guyana Esequiba, a body comprising the Defense Council, the Federal Government Council, the National Security Council and the political, religious and academic sectors.
- The creation of an integrated defense zone for Guyana Esequiba.
- While the law is being discussed, Rodriguez Cabello will be the authority of Guyana Esequiba, and also during the legislative discussion, the administrative headquarters of this authority will provisionally be located in the city of Tumeremo, in the territory of Venezuela.
- The publication and dissemination of the new map of Venezuela in schools, secondary schools and universities in the country.
The Essequibo territory has been disputed by Venezuela and Guyana for more than a century. It has been under Guyanese control since the late 19th century. The region makes up 70% of Guyana’s current territory and is home to 125,000 people.
In Venezuela the area is called Guayana Essequiba. It is a place with dense forest and in 2015, oil was discovered in the region. It is estimated that Guyana has reserves of 11 billion barrels, most of which are offshore, near Essequibo. Due to oil, Guyana is the fastest growing South American country in recent years.
Both Guyana and Venezuela claim rights to the territory based on international documents.
Guyana claims ownership of the territory because there is an 1899 report prepared in Paris that established the current boundaries. At the time, Guyana was a territory of the United Kingdom.
Venezuela claims the territory belongs to it because this is stipulated in an agreement signed with the United Kingdom itself in 1966, before Guyana’s independence, which annulled the arbitration award and laid the basis for a negotiated settlement.
1 of 2 The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, shortly after the referendum on Guyana Photo: Matias Delacroix / AP Photo The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, shortly after the referendum on Guyana Photo: Matias Delacroix / AP Photo 2 of 2 Venezuela approves the annexation of Guyana Photo: Reproduction Venezuela approves the annexation of Guyana Photo: Reproduction
On Sunday (3) Venezuela organized a referendum in which 95% of voters present voted for the country to include in the Venezuelan map the territory of Essequibo, a border region between the two countries that has been disputed for more than 100 years.
The consultation included five questions:
- Do you reject the current limit?
- Do you support the 1966 Geneva Convention?
- Do you agree with Venezuela’s position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (more on this topic below)?
- Do you disagree with Guyana using a maritime region over which there are no fixed borders?
- Do you agree with the creation of the State of Guayana Essequiba and the creation of a care plan for the population of this territory, which includes the granting of Venezuelan citizenship and the inclusion of this State on the map of Venezuelan territory?
Guyana asked the International Court of Justice for help
The International Court of Justice ruled on Friday that Venezuela could not try to annex Essequibo and that this applied to the referendum.
Guyana had asked the court to take emergency measures to stop voting in Venezuela.
In April, the International Court of Justice declared that it had the legitimacy to rule on the dispute. This body is the highest court of the United Nations (UN) to settle disputes between states, but is unable to enforce its decisions.
The final decision on who owns Essequiba could still be years away.
The Venezuelan government said the decision constituted interference in an internal matter and violated the constitution. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said that “nothing will prevent the referendum scheduled for December 3 from taking place.” She also said that despite her appearance in court, this does not mean that Venezuela recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice over the dispute.