AUTOPLAY
The consultation raises, among its five questions, the annexation of the territory to the national map.
Find the validation of El Cazamentiras at the end of the news.
Venezuela is holding a non-binding referendum this Sunday on the dispute with Guyana over an area of almost 160,000 square kilometers west of the Essequibo River, which raises, among its five questions, the annexation of the territory to the national map and the implementation of an “accelerated plan” to care for the population of this area.
(You can read: Why does the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana threaten regional stability?)
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), 20.69 million citizens will be able to participate in the consultation, for which 28,027 tables will be set upin a total of 15,857 voting centers, which opened at 6 am local time (5 am Colombia time).
(You can read: Venezuela: referendum campaign for territorial dispute with Guyana closes with concert)
The electoral authorities are expected to take stock of the opening of these centers, as reported this Saturday by the president of the electoral body, Elvis Amoroso, who assured that They will keep the Venezuelan people “informed of this great day”, with which they are sure that the country will send a message “to the world that Venezuela respects itself”.
The closing of the day is scheduled for 6 pm local time (5 pm Colombia time), a time with the possibility of being extended in those centers where there are still people in line.
(Also: ICJ asks Venezuela to ‘refrain’ from complicating dispute with Guyana with referendum)
Guyana asks Venezuela to act responsibly
The president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, asked Venezuela this Sunday to act with “responsibility” regarding the non-binding referendum.
“I want to say to Venezuela that this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate maturity, to demonstrate responsibility (…) we ask you once again to join us in demonstrating responsibility and maturity and allowing the rule of law to function and determine the outcome of this controversy,” the president said through Facebook in the early hours of the morning.
Lula says he expects ‘common sense’ from Venezuela and Guyana
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said this Sunday from Dubai that he expects “common sense” from Venezuela and Guyana to resolve the tension over the Essequibo region.
“If there is something that Latin America does not need at this moment, it is confusion,” Lula said in a press conference before boarding for Berlin where an official visit begins this Sunday. “You can’t continue thinking about fighting. I hope that common sense prevails, on the part of Venezuela and Guyana,” she added.
Maduro assures that Venezuela will come out ‘stronger’
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, assured that his country will emerge “stronger” from the referendum, in which he participated a few minutes after the start of the day.
“We are resolving, through constitutional, peaceful and democratic means, an imperial dispossession of 150 years, (…) I am sure that, starting today, we will emerge stronger. I am optimistic, I have renewed hope that Today we are going to come out stronger as a country to speak hard, clear, powerful,” he said.
Voting centers begin to open
In Venezuela, the opening of the 15,857 voting centers began, where citizens can go to participate in the non-binding referendum on the dispute with Guyana.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), 20.69 million citizens will be able to vote in the consultation, which proposes the annexation of the territory to the national map and the implementation of an “accelerated plan” to serve the population of the area, with granting of citizenship and identity document.
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