THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) 鈥� told the United Nations鈥� highest court on Monday that 70% of its territory is at stake in a historic border dispute with over that is rich in resources.
The is holding a week of hearings between the South American neighbors claiming ownership of the Essequibo region, which is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources and is located close to .
鈥淭his has been a blight on our existence as a sovereign state from the very beginning,鈥� Guyana Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd told judges at the Great Hall of Justice in The Hague.
An 1899 decision by arbitrators from Britain, Russia and the United States drew the border along the Essequibo River largely in favor of Guyana. The U.S. represented Venezuela in part because the Venezuelan government had broken off diplomatic relations with Britain. Venezuela contends the Americans and Europeans conspired to cheat their country out of the land.
Venezuela has considered Essequibo its own since the Spanish colonial period when the region was within its boundaries. The country argues a 1966 agreement to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the 19th-century arbitration.
After years of fruitless mediation, Guyana in 2018 asked ICJ judges to affirm the 1899 border decision.
Pierre d鈥橝rgent, a member of Guyana’s legal team, called Venezuela’s arguments 鈥渓engthy, pointlessly controversial and confusing鈥� and told judges they 鈥渁re not new in any way and have already been rejected by the court.鈥�
The two nations have returned to the court multiple times. Venezuela challenged the ICJ鈥檚 jurisdiction by claiming it could not hear the case without the United Kingdom, which was Guyana鈥檚 colonial master at the time of the original border decision. The court in 2020 , enabling the case to proceed to this week’s hearings.
The court ordered Venezuela in 2025 to refrain from holding elections for officials who supposedly would oversee the region.
Venezuela鈥檚 acting President Delcy Rodr铆guez in the shape of the Essequibo region during recent state visits to the Caribbean islands of Grenada and Barbados.
Rodr铆guez was on her first official overseas trip following the capture of by the U.S. in early January. The pin also has been increasingly worn by Venezuelan government officials, state television anchors, lawmakers and ruling party members since Maduro was removed from power in a stunning in Caracas, Venezuela鈥檚 capital.
The weeklong proceedings will continue on Wednesday with opening statements by Venezuela.
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Mike Corder contributed to this report.
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