CARICOM leaders have reaffirmed that no elections were held by Venezuela in Guyana’s Essequibo region, despite Caracas’ claim of staging a “governor” and “legislative council” vote in the territory on May 25, 2025 — an action that directly defied an International Court of Justice (ICJ) order.
Meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, at the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, regional leaders underscored their unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling Venezuela’s claims baseless and urging the South American neighbour to comply with international law.
In a clear message to Caracas, CARICOM urged the Venezuelan government to submit its Rejoinder — the final written argument in the ongoing border controversy case — by 11 August 2025, as ordered by the ICJ. The case concerns the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. Venezuela has long rejected the award and, in recent years, escalated its claims over Guyana’s oil-rich Essequibo region — about two-thirds of Guyana’s national territory.
Tensions intensified in late 2023 when Venezuela held a controversial referendum seeking domestic backing to annex Essequibo and later claimed to have created a new “Guayana Esequiba State.” The ICJ ruled in December 2023 that Venezuela must not take any action to alter Guyana’s control of the area while the case is before the Court.
Heads of Government reiterated that the ongoing ICJ proceedings remain the only legitimate and peaceful means to resolve the longstanding controversy. They warned against any acts or rhetoric that could inflame tensions in the Region and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international law and the rules-based order.
Guyana, backed by CARICOM and other international partners including the Commonwealth and the Organisation of American States (OAS), maintains that the border is settled and that any attempts by Venezuela to unilaterally annex Essequibo are null and void.
The ICJ is expected to issue a final ruling in the coming years, which Guyana hopes will end the territorial controversy once and for all.
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