Concerns are being raised by the Guyanese government that neighbouring Venezuela is still pushing to control the country’s oil-rich Essequibo region.
This comes after it was reported President Nicolás Maduro plans to hold and election to elect a “Governor of the Guayana Esequiba” by “the people of Guyana Esequiba”.
Essequibo makes up two thirds of the total land area of Guyana and is home to 125,000 of Guyana’s 800,000 citizens.
In a statement, Guyana’s foreign ministry said any plans would violate the Argyle Agreement which was signed in St Vincent and the Grenadines in December 2023, where both countries agreed to avoid any further actions which would escalate the ongoing territory dispute.
“The people of Guyana’s Essequibo region are Guyanese nationals who live in Guyana’s sovereign territory,” the ministry said.
“It would be a flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international law, enshrined in the U.N. Charter, for Venezuela to attempt to conduct an election in Guyanese territory involving the participation of Guyanese nationals.”
The Guyanese Government have also said they will seek assistance from the United Nation’s top court to stop Venezuela’s plans.
According to the Associated Press, it said plans by Venezuela to administratively incorporate Essequibo into Venezuela “not only jeopardise the judicial process but also undermine the authority of the court as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.”
Venezuela has long claimed Essequibo as its own as the region was within its boundaries during the Spanish colonial period.
Essequibo has been administered by Guyana for over 100 years after a decision in 1899 by an international tribunal granted it to Britain, who had colonial rule over the territory at the time.
The area was previously known British Guiana. However, Venezuela has always argued the decision was unfair and say Essequibo belongs to them since it gained independence from Spain in 1811.
In December, it was announced Guyana is now the third largest per-capita oil producer in the world, according to officials.
In 2015, US oil giant ExxonMobi found more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources in Essequibo – which makes up two thirds of the total land area of the Caribbean country.
Guyana also saw the highest real GD growth in the world in 2022, with the country’s GDP growing by a staggering 62.3%.
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