Venezuela has announced that it will be going to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, along with representatives of the Republic of Guyana regarding the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region of Guyana, over which Venezuela claims sovereignty.
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“The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, faithful to its historical position and in accordance with Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy, reiterates its firm willingness to defend the territorial integrity of our country based on the 1966 Geneva Agreement, the legal framework that governs the territorial dispute of Essequibo,” the statement released by Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said.
The government says that it will act through all legal and diplomatic means to resolve the dispute.
Venezuela has claimed the region part of its territory for hundreds of years, but an agreement signed by the United Kingdom in 1966, which was Guyana's then-colonizer, granted authority of the area to Guyana. Upon receiving independence, Guyana continued to claim the region, sparking a diplomatic conflict over the territory.
The dispute reemerged when Exxon Mobil Co. found massive oil reserves in the territory, and threw its weight behind Guyana, awarding contracts to begin drilling.