Guayana Esequiba, a region of approximately 159,500 square kilometers (61,400 sq mi) west of the Essequibo River, is the subject of a long-standing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. Guyana maintains sovereignty over the area, administering it as an integral part of its national territory, comprising five of its ten administrative regions. Venezuela, however, claims the territory as its own, referring to it as the “Zona en Reclamación” (Zone in Reclamation).

The core of the dispute lies in differing interpretations of historical events and legal documents. Venezuela bases its claim primarily on the 1777 map of the Captaincy General of Venezuela during Spanish colonial rule. Guyana, on the other hand, relies on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela. This arbitration, conducted in Paris, awarded the vast majority of the disputed territory to British Guiana.

Venezuela initially accepted the 1899 award but formally repudiated it in 1962, citing alleged irregularities and collusion between the judges. This occurred shortly before Guyana’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. That same year, the Geneva Agreement was signed between Guyana, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom, outlining a framework for peacefully resolving the dispute. This agreement stipulated that the parties would seek a practical, peaceful, and satisfactory solution acceptable to all parties.

Despite numerous attempts at diplomatic negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, no mutually agreeable solution has been reached. In 2018, Guyana brought the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking a final and binding judgment affirming the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award. Venezuela initially contested the ICJ’s jurisdiction, arguing that the Geneva Agreement superseded the court’s authority. However, the ICJ ruled in December 2020 that it does indeed have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The dispute has significantly impacted relations between Guyana and Venezuela. Periods of heightened tension and rhetoric have punctuated the relationship, affecting economic cooperation and regional stability. The discovery of significant offshore oil reserves within the disputed waters has further intensified the stakes. Guyana has been developing these resources, which Venezuela considers a violation of its sovereign rights. The ICJ case continues, with potential implications for the future of the territory and the relationship between the two South American nations. The court’s decision will be binding under international law, but its enforcement remains a complex matter.