Guyana-Venezuela border dispute 

Venezuelans have approved a referendum called by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to claim sovereignty over an oil-rich swathe of neighbouring Guyana called Essequibo

Many analysts see referendum as attempt by Maduro to whip up nationalist fervour ahead of elections
in 2024

ESSEQUIBO
Area: 159,500 sq km – representing around two thirds of Guyana 
Population: 125,000 of Guyana’s 800,000 citizens

Stabroek block: Expected to generate up to 1.2 million barrels
of oil and gas per day by 2027

Venezuelan claim on territorial waters

Orinoco River
VENEZUELA
ESSEQUIBO
Caracas
ATLANTIC OCEAN 
Guyana exclusive economic zone
FRENCH GUIANA
BRAZIL
Georgetown 
GUYANA
SURINAME
100km 60 miles 
ESSEQUIBO DISPUTE

1889: Venezuela lays claim to Essequibo region

1899: International arbitral tribunal awards area to Britain – colonial ruler of Guyana (then called British Guiana)

1966: Britain and Venezuela sign Geneva Agreement ahead of Guyana’s independence, providing for negotiated settlement on territorial dispute

2015: U.S. giant ExxonMobil  discovers oil in waters claimed by Venezuela

2018: Guyana takes case to  International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague

Dec 3, 2023: Venezuelans vote  overwhelmingly in referendum  to reject ICJ jurisdiction over dispute and to back creation  of new state in Essequibo


Sources: Reuters, BBC, Venezuela’s National Organisation for Maritime Safety © GRAPHIC NEWS