At hearings in The Hague on Wednesday, Venezuela formally told judges at the International Court of Justice that it does not accept the court's authority to rule on its long-standing boundary dispute with neighbouring Guyana. The disagreement centers on the Esequibo region, an area of roughly 160,000 square kilometres that includes inland jungle and an offshore zone where significant oil and gas discoveries have been reported.
Guyana initiated proceedings at the World Court in 2018, asking the tribunal that resolves inter-state legal disputes to confirm a boundary established by an 1899 arbitral award. That award, according to Guyana, places the Esequibo territory within its sovereign borders.
Speaking to the court, Venezuelan representative Samuel Reinaldo Moncada Acosta stated plainly: "Venezuela does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice." He reiterated Caracas's position that the border issue cannot be resolved by the court and instead must be the subject of direct negotiations between the two states.
Moncada dismissed the 1899 arbitral award as fraudulent and said it had been imposed by colonial forces as an example of gunboat diplomacy. He said Venezuela remains "committed to continuing to act in good faith in direct negotiations with Guyana to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement."
On the other side, Guyana told judges earlier in the week that Venezuela's claim reaches into more than 70% of Guyana's territory and described the claim as an existential threat to the country. Guyana is asking the court to uphold the 1899 award and confirm the border in its favour.
The hearings come amid an unusual political situation in Caracas. After the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces in January, Venezuela is being run by an interim government that continues to assert the country's claim on the Esequibo region.
A final judgment in the case is expected in months. While rulings of the International Court of Justice are binding and final, the court has no direct mechanism to enforce them and must rely on the United Nations Security Council to implement decisions.
Venezuela has previously sought to block the court's authority on this matter through a national referendum. In 2023 Venezuelan voters rejected the ICJ's jurisdiction over the territorial dispute in that referendum.
The outcome of the court proceedings and Venezuela's refusal to accept jurisdiction underscore continuing uncertainty over the legal and political framework governing the Esequibo area, which has become economically significant following offshore hydrocarbon discoveries.