Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Votes in Controversial Essequibo Referendum

Caracas, Venezuela – President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday cast his vote in a controversial referendum that his government hopes will strengthen its century-old claim to the oil-rich Essequibo in neighbouring Guyana.

“Today we are voting as Venezuela in just one colour, one feeling. Our vote is for Venezuela to be respected,” Maduro told reporters after he voted at a military base.

Earlier, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali had urged Venezuelans not to seek to divide the two countries over the centuries old border dispute, saying he wanted to speak directly to the Venezuelan people.

“We are your neighbours and we are taught to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Long after this controversy, we will live together as neighbours. You have to determine within yourselves whether you want to be part of a system that runs afoul of international law,” he said.

But even as he was making his appeal during the early hours of Sunday, Venezuelans began casting their votes a few hours later and the authorities said that the results of the polls, which ends at 6 p.m. (local time) will be known on Monday.

“Essequibo is ours!” read posters plastered on walls lining the streets in the capital.

Political observers say the campaign to take ownership of Essequibo is part Maduro’s attempt to boost his popularity ahead of next year’s election.

Venezuela has claimed the huge territory for decades – even as its 160 000 square kilometres (62 000 square miles) represent more than two-thirds of Guyana, and its population of 125 000 is one-fifth Guyana’s total.

The people of Essequibo are not voting and President Ali while he does not want to get involved in Venezuela’s internal politics, he is urging Caracas to obey the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that last Friday urged both countries to “refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve.

“The court emphasises that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the court to decide at the merits stage,” it said.

“I want to advise Venezuela that this is an opportunity for them to show maturity, an opportunity for them to show responsibility…and in allowing the rule of law to work and to determine the outcome of this controversy,” Ali said in his broadcast.

President Ali returned early from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) being held in Dubai. He said he met and held talks with a number of world leaders, briefing them on the current situation with Venezuela.

He offered thanks to those who have offered their full support of Guyana and the judicial process, and urged the more quiet ones to speak up against Venezuela’s continued aggression against Guyana. (CMC)