Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez attends The Hague land dispute hearing

Venezuela’s Acting President to Attend ICJ Case on Land Dispute with Guyana

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez will travel to The Hague, Netherlands, for a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding a land dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. This marks her first trip outside the Caribbean since January, when US forces abducted President Nicolas Maduro.

Rodriguez announced her intention to defend her country in a televised address. She stated that she would be traveling to The Hague “in the coming hours” to represent Venezuela’s interests.

The ICJ has been hearing arguments in the Venezuela-Guyana case, which concerns a centuries-old dispute over the Essequibo region. Venezuela claims ownership of the territory, currently administered by Guyana. The region accounts for two-thirds of Guyana’s current territory and is rich in oil reserves.

ExxonMobil’s discovery of offshore oil deposits in Essequibo has given Guyana significant crude oil reserves. The case focuses on whether the current border established between the two countries in 1899 should remain valid or be redrawn according to a document from 1966.

Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s vice president when he was captured and flown to the United States, had been under US sanctions. However, her position as acting president led to the lifting of these sanctions. Officials attending ICJ proceedings are typically granted special legal protections.

The hearing marks Rodriguez’s first trip outside the Caribbean since January. She has visited nearby islands in the region but not the United States.

Source: Al Jazeera