Guyana on Friday formally asked the International Court of Justice to order Venezuela to withdraw from Guyanese territory, repeal laws purporting to annex the Essequibo region and cease all actions undermining Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Reading Guyana’s final submissions before the court, Guyana’s agent to the ICJ, Carl Greenidge, outlined a series of sweeping declarations and orders Guyana is seeking from the court in the long-running border controversy with Venezuela.
Greenidge asked the court to declare that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains “valid and binding” on both Guyana and Venezuela and that the boundary established by the award and the 1905 Agreement constitutes the lawful international boundary between the two countries.
He further requested that the court affirm Venezuela’s obligation to fully respect Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with that boundary.
In a major aspect of Guyana’s submissions, Greenidge also asked the court to find that Venezuela has failed to comply with the ICJ’s provisional measures orders issued in December 2023 and May 2025.
Guyana is specifically asking the court to order Venezuela to withdraw from all Guyanese territory, including the portion of Ankoko Island awarded to Guyana under the 1899 Award.
The eastern half of Ankoko Island, situated at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Wenamu Rivers, which forms part of the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, was taken over by the Venezuelan army in 1966. The Venezuelans constructed a military base, an airstrip and a post office and brought in civilian settlers.
“Venezuela must withdraw from any part of Guyana’s territory,” Greenidge told the court.
Guyana is also seeking orders requiring Venezuela to refrain from asserting or exercising sovereignty over any part of Guyana’s territory and to stop actions violating Guyana’s territorial integrity.
Greenidge further requested that Venezuela be ordered to revoke all laws, decrees and measures enacted to annex or administer the Essequibo region.
Among the measures Guyana wants repealed are Venezuelan laws extending Venezuela’s legislative, executive and judicial jurisdiction over the Essequibo region and legislation purporting to incorporate the territory as part of Venezuela.
Guyana is also asking the court to order the dissolution of Venezuelan entities established to administer the region, including the so-called “High Commission for the Defence of Guayana Esequiba”.
Additionally, Guyana requested that Venezuela terminate what it described as social programmes, population censuses and military activities aimed at exercising control over Guyana’s territory.
Greenidge also asked the court to direct Venezuela to stop publicly claiming that the 1899 Award is invalid or fraudulent and to cease teaching such claims domestically.
Guyana further requested that Venezuela withdraw, revoke and destroy official maps depicting any part of Guyana’s territory as Venezuelan territory.
Following the submissions, the president of the ICJ announced that hearings would resume on Monday for Venezuela’s second round of oral arguments.