Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil, at a conference on the territorial dispute over Guyana’s Esequibo, said that Caracas possesses irrefutable historical and legal evidence of its rights to the territory. Speaking at the Teresa Carreño Theatre, Gil emphasized that Venezuela has presented the international community with a "solid legal strategy" demonstrating the legitimacy of its claims. "This is a legal and historical truth that no one can dispute," the diplomat said, praising the team that defended the country's interests at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. He called the arguments presented innovative and predicted they would become a model for future international law textbooks.
Gil also reiterated Venezuela’s position that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to decide this dispute. Referring to the words of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, he stressed that while Caracas respects the court, it nevertheless believes that the court's authority does not extend to this conflict. According to Venezuelan authorities, the only legitimate instrument for settlement remains the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which Venezuela insists is fully in line with international law. Thus, Caracas continues to insist on bilateral negotiations as the only possible path to resolving the territorial confrontation with Guyana.
Full version: Canciller Gil: La pertinencia venezolana sobre el Esequibo es una verdad jurídica e histórica que nadie puede rebatir