The vast province of Essequibo covers about three-quarters of Guyana’s area. The area is mostly uninhabited rainforest.
Venezuelans approved by a large majority the annexation of the Essequibo region controlled by neighboring Guyana.
In Sunday’s referendum, Venezuelans were asked, among other things, whether they approve of “the creation of a state in Guyana’s Essequibo, the issuance of Venezuelan passports to its residents and the annexation of the territory to Venezuela on the map.”
According to the preliminary results, more than 95 percent of those who voted supported the initiatives, he says news channel CNN.
Voting the result was expected, according to the CNN analyst, but its consequences will probably remain small.
The emergence of a Venezuelan state in the Essequibo region is described as a distant possibility.
It is unclear what actions the Venezuelan government might take as a result of the vote. The effort to conquer the area would face widespread international opposition.
Although the practical consequences are still unclear, the international judge Joan Donoghue said the news agency APthat the statements of the Venezuelan administration still give the impression that “the country is moving towards gaining control and power in the disputed region”.
“Furthermore, Venezuelan military representatives have stated that the country is taking concrete steps to build an airstrip that would serve as logistical support in the development of the integration of Essequibo,” he continued.
The voting result and the hardened rhetoric have caused movement on both sides of the state’s borders, and some of Guyana’s leaders compare the situation to the war of aggression started by Russia in Ukraine.
Venezuela has claimed the Essequibo region as its own for a long time. According to it, it belonged to Venezuela during the Spanish colonial period. In 1899, international mediators designated it as part of British Guiana. Venezuela denied it in the 1960s.
Guyana has considered Venezuela’s actions an “existential threat”. The president of the country Irfan Ali visited Essequibo last week and raised the country’s flag on the border hill.
Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs By Robert Persaud according to which the tensions between the countries are at an “unprecedented level”.
The Hague The International Criminal Court has called on Venezuela to refrain from any kind of action until the court has dealt with the matter. The court has been investigating the matter for years.
In 1966, the parties agreed that the dispute would be resolved peacefully and, if necessary, referred to the UN Secretary General for a decision. The Secretary General has referred the case to the International Court of Justice, which Venezuela does not accept, however.
Essequibo is about half the area of Finland and three quarters of Guyana. Most of the huge area is rainforest. Only a few hundred thousand people live in the area, most of whom are indigenous.
The territorial claims are related to the dispute over the ownership of the large oil reserves found off the coast of Essequibo.
Venezuela’s internal politics is also strongly in the background. The referendum was initiated by the president Nicolas Maduro. The referendum has been held as part of Maduro’s campaign in connection with next year’s presidential election.
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