Guyana confident of favourable ICJ ruling in Venezuela border controversy this year

The Guyana Government is confident of a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this year to settle the longstanding border controversy with Venezuela, saying that the recent capture and toppling of the Nicolás Maduro regime in Caracas would not impact the outcome of the case.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd indicated that there wouldn’t be any delays in the ongoing border controversy case before the World Court given the recent developments in neighbouring Venezuela.

“You’ve seen the performance of a legal team over the last several years. And I think you are confident also in the team, as we are confident. I think we have a very strong team, and we are very focused. But of course, we have to remain cautious. But we are very confident that we will have a ruling in our favour.”

Currently, Guyana’s legal team is awaiting a date for oral arguments to be heard on the merits of the case before the World Court deliberates on its final judgment, which will be binding on the two countries.

Guyana has moved to the ICJ to settle the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundaries with Venezuela.

The Spanish-speaking nation is claiming more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region and a portion of its Exclusive Economic Zone.

In recent years, there has been heightened aggression from Venezuela towards Guyana.

But with the recent capture and toppling of the Nicolás Maduro regime in Caracas by the United States on January 3, that aggression is likely to wane – something which the Government of Guyana welcomes.

“The President has spoken extensively on ensuring that we protect the people of Guyana, to ensure our resources are protected, and to ensure that everyone can go to bed at night feeling safe, knowing that they can get up the next day and go to work and go about their business. And I think we’ve achieved that. We want to maintain that,” Todd said.

“The President is actively engaged with his international partners, or with our international partners, so that you can rest assured that he will explore every option available to ensure that Guyana and the people of this country are safe,” he added.