Guyana has filed a request with the International Court of Justice seeking provisional measures to block Venezuela from moving ahead with its plans to host elections for a Governor of Guyana’s Essequibo region.

In a statement this morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Essequibo remains an integral part of Guyana’s national territory, and Venezuela purported to annex the region in violation of the International Court’s Order of 1 December 2023 and fundamental norms of international law.

Guyana informed the Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on 25 May 2025 and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory.

In order to preserve its rights, Guyana is requesting that the Court orders Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region.

This is the second time Guyana has sought provisional measures from the Court.

Guyana’s first request resulted in the Court’s Order of 1 December 2023, in which it ordered “pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Guyana considers that Venezuela’s plan to hold elections in “the territory in dispute” flagrantly violates Court’s Order, and Guyana’s current request seeks confirmation of this by the Court, as well as an explicit directive to refrain from any electoral activities within or affecting this territory or it population, which consist of Guyanese nationals.

Guyana further requested the Court to convene hearings on its request as soon as possible, to enable such provisional measures as might be indicated by the Court to be issued before serious and irremediable prejudice to Guyana’s rights occurs.

This week, Guyana filed a protest with Venezuela over the incursion by a Venezuelan naval vessel into Guyana’s waters and its aggression towards oil ships operating within Guyana’s waters. Guyana has also informed the international community of the latest act from Venezuela.

Related posts:

Guyana objects to Venezuelan President’s plan to elect Governor for Guyana’s Essequibo region ICJ grants provisional measures prohibiting Venezuela from taking any action on the Essequibo region Guyana asks International Court to block questions in Venezuela’s planned referendum on Essequibo controversy Guyana Government rejects Venezuela’s referendum seeking to make Guyana’s Essequibo a Venezuelan state; International Community alerted