The Guyana government estimates a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) could come by the end of 2025, in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela).
“The timeline… with Venezuela fully participating in the process, could be end next year. That’s the outer timeline but this is dependent entirely on the ICJ,” Jagdeo stated during an April 11 press conference.
He said that is a government estimate of a reasonable time or conclusion of the case, provided that Venezuela participates fully.
Venezuela said it does not accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ. President Nicolas Maduro signed the ‘Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba’ into law on April 3, 2024. It includes a provision on the country’s non-recognition of the ICJ as the mechanism to resolve the territorial controversy. However, Venezuela participates in the case proceedings and even submitted its counter-memorial after its law was enacted.
“We welcome [the submission] because we believe that they should participate here,” Jagdeo stated.
He added that Guyana’s view is that Venezuela has no evidence to support its position, and that this is why its submission focuses on issues not germane to the core issue before the ICJ – the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.
“They have to prove – which is an uphill task – that the Award is not valid,” Jagdeo said.
The Award determined the boundary between the two South American nations more than a hundred years ago. In 1962, some 63 years after accepting the boundary, Venezuela claimed the Award was null and void. After years of discussions between the two countries under the United Nations Good Offices Process failed to deliver a resolution, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referred the matter to the ICJ in 2018.
