Venezuelans back candidate to challenge Maduro — if she’s allowed
Washington PostOCT 1 2023
Venezuelan Voters Reject ICJ Jurisdiction in Dispute with Guyana
Image copyright: Gaby Oraa/Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The free and democratic referendum on Essequibo is not threat to democracy but rather a mass exercise of democratic rights in defense of Venezuelan sovereignty that will force the colony of Guyana back to the negotiating table. The stolen oil-rich Essequibo region has long had its resources exploited by the US, which negotiates oil and gas deals as if they were its own. It's time for this to come to an end.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's outrageous that Venezuela arrogated to itself the right to hold a referendum to annex a territory awarded to the then-British territory, Guyana, in 1899 — the 1966 Geneva Agreement specifies that it's up to the UN Secretary-General to choose how to settle the territorial dispute related to Essequibo. Given that the matter has already been referred to the ICJ, Venezuela is clearly seeking to usurp the court's jurisdiction.