The Essequibo Referendum's Outcome Has a Historic Impact

On Sunday, Venezuela wrote new and powerful pages for its history of participatory democracy. From very early in the day, the people were consulted at the polls and spoke through their votes. The result is the resounding triumph of YES to the five questions about the Guayana Esequiba.

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Venezuelans in Near-Consensus on Essequibo Referendum

This is a disputed territory with Guyana, a neighboring country that, since 2015, decided to break off diplomatic dialogue, join the aggression imposed by the U.S. against Venezuela, and violate international law by allowing oil exploration and exploitation in the disputed area.

According to the National Electoral Council, the YES vote on all five questions exceeded 95 percent. This decisive response marks "a new stage in the defense of this territory," President Nicolas Maduro stated from Caraca's Bolivar Square before thousands of people.

He added that the people pointed the way in the face of Exxon Mobil's insolence, the U.S. multinational accused by the Bolivarian government of pulling the strings of Guyana's foreign policy to strip Venezuela of the Guayana Esequiba.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: "Long live the victory of all the people in a historic consultative referendum that has put Venezuela on its feet. We have taken the first steps of a new historical stage to fight for our Guayana Esequiba and for peace and to recover what the liberators left us. The people spoke loud and clear!"

This path is contained in the texts of the referendum questions, which have also served to learn or remember the main milestones that have marked 150 years of Venezuela's claims to what rightfully belongs to it and is supported by historical documents.

An example is the second question, with the highest vote of 98.11 percent for YES and 1.8 percent for NO. This question establishes that, from the sovereign power of the vote, the people support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to reach a solution for Venezuela and Guyana regarding the territorial dispute.

With this response, Venezuelans tell the world that they reject the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award that sought to seize the territory through the deceit of the United Kingdom and the U.S. They also reject the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to resolve the controversy.

Internally, one of the responses that will have a broad impact is the fifth one, with a 95.94 percent YES and a 4.67 percent NO. It establishes that Venezuela will create a new state, the 24th, which is the Guayana Esequiba.

A comprehensive plan for the current and future population of this territory will be developed. Consequently, on Venezuela's maps, the Guayana Esequiba will no longer appear in gray with stripes but will henceforth be a colorful part of the national territory, and its inhabitants will be citizens with full constitutional rights.

This was the decision of the people, who once again made themselves heard and once more demonstrated their historical stature and commitment.