Overview
- The International Court of Justice, which opened oral hearings Monday in The Hague, is weighing rival claims over the Essequibo region in proceedings set for May 4–11.
- Guyana asked judges to affirm the 1899 Arbitral Award and declare Venezuela has no valid claim, with its foreign minister saying more than 70% of the country’s land is at stake.
- Venezuela is due to present its case on Wednesday and argues the border should follow the 1966 Geneva Agreement and older Spanish-era frontiers, even as it questions the court’s authority.
- The stakes have grown with vast resources onshore and offshore, including major oil finds in the nearby Stabroek Block that helped lift Guyana’s output to about 750,000 barrels a day and fueled rapid growth.
- The court has already ordered Venezuela not to alter Guyana’s administration of the area or hold elections there, yet any final ruling will take months and may be hard to enforce as Venezuela pursues domestic measures asserting control.