Caribbean

Venezuela Defies ICJ Ruling with Referendum on Essequibo Annexation, Escalating Dispute With Guyana

The border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana shows no sign of abating as Venezuelan citizens overwhelmingly approved of their country's expansionist ambitions and rejected the authority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  On Friday, the ICJ ordered Venezuela to "refrain from taking any action which would modify that situation that currently prevails," referring to the dispute over Essequibo, land long held by Guyana. Venezuela has laid claim to the Essequibo region since 1811, when it gained independence from Spain. It has never accepted the border between Venezuela and what was then British Guiana, established by international arbitrators in 1899.  Ignoring the ICJ's warning, on Sunday Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro went ahead with a planned referendum that sought the public's opinion on the annexation of Guyana's Essequibo region. Reports from Venezuelan authorities are that over 10 million votes were cast in favor of the idea of creating a new Venezuelan state ...