Venezuela’s Electoral Authority Says Referendum Supports Claim of Sovereignty Over Swatch of Neighboring Guyana

The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Venezuela not to take any action on altering Guyana’s control over disputed territory.

President Nicolas Maduro votes in a referendum regarding Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo, a region administered and controlled by Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 3, 2023. AP Photo/Matias Delacroix

Venezuelans on Sunday approved a referendum called by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to claim sovereignty over an oil- and mineral-rich piece of neighboring Guyana, the country’s electoral authority announced.

Few voters could be seen at voting centers throughout the voting period, but the National Electoral Council claimed that more than 10.5 million voters cast ballots.