Venezuelan National Assembly Takes Note of ICJ Decision

On Friday afternoon, the Venezuelan National Assembly commented on the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Guyana's request to halt the planned Essequibo referendum scheduled for December 3.

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"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's National Assembly takes note of the ICJ decision, in the sense of respecting this sovereign National Assembly's decision to call a consultative referendum in accordance with the Constitution's article 71 so that the people can express their will on our Guayana Esequiba,” it stated.

Lawmakers congratulated the Venezuelan legal team for their work in responding to Guyana's reckless request to suspend the referendum or, alternatively, questions 1, 3, and 5 within it.

"The fundamental observations presented by our legal team have been accepted by the ICJ, thus rejecting Guyana's unwarranted claims," the National Assembly said.

"We belief that the Venezuelan people will overwhelmingly participate at the polls to uphold their will within the framework of the Bolivarian Constitution, peace, and sovereignty."

Venezuelan lawmakers also emphasized that the ICJ's ruling urges Guyana to refrain from warlike, aggressive, and provocative actions contrary to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, including "reckless" permits or concessions in waters to be delimited and the establishment of foreign military bases.

"All undelimited territories and aquatic spaces must be respected, especially concerning Venezuelan territorial waters," the National Assembly said, emphasizing that it will not allow illegal foreign investments in territories that are part of Venezuela and its people.

"On December 3rd, vote with strength and love for our homeland, for Venezuela, and for the legacy of the Liberator Simon Bolivar," it concluded.