ICJ Confirms Caracas Submitted Documents to Prove Claims to Disputed Essequibo Region

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Exclusive: Venezuela has submitted a counter-memorandum to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Guyana's case regarding the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, ICJ Associate Information Officer Avo Sevag Garabet told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

The ICJ had set a deadline for Venezuela, asking Caracas to submit all documents to the court by April 8, 2024.

The spokesman confirmed receiving Venezuela’s documents, adding that the next stage in the process depends on a number of factors, including whether another case is opened. Once the written proceedings are completed, public hearings could begin unless the court approves the second round of document exchange, he said.

On Monday, the Venezuelan presidency said the country had submitted documents to the ICJ that confirm its "sovereign right" to the Essequibo region disputed with Guyana, claiming that the country, together with the United States, was preparing an aggression against Caracas.

The oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo region has long been a subject of disputes between Venezuela and Guyana. Venezuela gained independence from Spain in 1845, with Essequibo recognized as part of its sovereign territory. However, in 1899, the United Kingdom filed and won an arbitration claim to recognize Essequibo as part of its then-Caribbean colony of British Guiana. Independent Guyana cited the 1899 Arbitral Award in its 2018 International Court of Justice suit against Venezuela to reassert its claim of sovereignty over the disputed territory.

Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he had verified information about secret military bases established by the US Southern Command and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Essequibo. The disputed region is being governed by the Southern Command, the CIA and US oil company ExxonMobil, which aim to seize Venezuelan resources, he added.

In December 2023, Venezuela held a referendum in which almost 96% of the population voted to incorporate the Essequibo region into the country. Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said that Georgetown was considering Caracas' actions to incorporate Essequibo, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory, as a threat to the country's national security.