Overview
- Rodríguez, who arrived Sunday, took part in Monday’s final public hearing at the International Court of Justice and said Venezuela alone holds title to the Esequibo region that Guyana administers.
- Following Monday’s post by Fox News journalist John Roberts that President Trump is “considering seriously” making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state, Rodríguez rejected the idea in The Hague and affirmed the country’s independence.
- Court sources said the Netherlands granted Rodríguez a temporary waiver to enter despite European Union travel sanctions.
- Venezuelan officials reiterated that only direct talks under the 1966 Geneva Agreement can resolve the dispute and said they do not accept the court’s jurisdiction.
- Guyana’s case, filed in 2018 to validate an 1899 arbitral award, is advancing at the ICJ and could take years to conclude, as its army reported two attacks on a border patrol on the Cuyuni River last week.