Autocratic leaders can sometimes act in reckless ways to hold on to power. This appears to be the case with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who is up for re-election in 2024. To rally supporters for his party, weakened by U.S. economic sanctions, he has reignited claims over the disputed Guayana Esequiba territory, an issue known to unite Venezuelans across political divides.

Last Sunday, December 3, 2023, President Maduro held a national consultative Referendum to determine the people’s position on Venezuela’s longstanding claim over Guyana’s Essequibo Region (see captioned Map of Guyana with highlighted disputed territory). In so doing, Maduro’s regime ignored the objections of Guyana’s leadership and the order issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 1, 2023, to “refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.”

The day after the Referendum, the president of the National Electoral Council announced overwhelming support for annexing Guayana Esequiba. The following results represent the percent of YES votes of the alleged 10.5 million participants (approximately 50 percent of the electorate) to five questions raised for their consideration:

1. Do you reject the Paris Arbitral Award of 1899? – 97.99%
2. Do you support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument for resolving the controversy? – 98.26%
3. Do you agree with Venezuela’s position of not recognizing the International Court of Territorial Justice as arbitrator? – 96.31%
4. Do you oppose Guyana’s attempt to assert control over the [Atlantic] Ocean pending delimitation? – 96.34%
5. Do you agree with the creation of the State of Guayana Esequiba and incorporating said state into the map of Venezuela’s territory? – 96.33%

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