The international court ICJ ordered Venezuela on Friday to refrain from actions that would change the current situation in the region.
On Sunday, Venezuela is scheduled to hold a referendum on the annexation of the territory on the border between Venezuela and Guyana.
Venezuela has escalated a border dispute over the nearly 160,000 square kilometer Essequibo region since oil giant ExxonMobil discovered oil in the area in 2015. Last month, Guyana reported a significant new oil discovery in the area.
The international court ICJ ordered Venezuela on Friday to refrain from actions that would change the current situation in the region. However, the court did not directly prohibit the country from holding a referendum.
President of Guyana Irfan Ali celebrated the decision, but so did the Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez.
– As the court made clear, Venezuela is prohibited from annexing or invading the territory of Guyana, said Ali in a press release.
The referendum anticipates next year’s elections
According to Guyana, the referendum planned by Venezuela is a risk to the “existence” of the country, as the regional union would be created unilaterally and illegally.
Rodriguez said the country would hold the referendum despite the ICJ order. According to him, Venezuela would like to negotiate a solution to the dispute.
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has urged citizens to vote in favor of a regional union. The referendum is also considered a measure of the government’s popularity before next year’s presidential election.
The referendum is advisory and requires a simple majority. Experts predict that citizens will vote in favor of annexation, as there is no campaign against the union, and opponents will not come to the ballot box.
Brazil, a neighbor of both sides, said it had increased its defense operations in the border area.
Sources: AFP, Reuters