- Venezuela votes in referendum over territory under dispute with Guyana
On Sunday, over 20 million Venezuelans have been called to participate in the consultative referendum for the defense of Essequibo.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) installed 15,857 voting centers and 28,027 polling stations throughout the country.
This democratic process will take place in the 23 Venezuelan states and in the Capital District. At the national level, citizens will be able to participate in 335 municipalities and 1,141 parishes.
The referendum is scheduled to take place from 06:00 to 18:00 local time. This period could be extended if there are still citizens waiting in line to cast their vote. The only requirement to be able to vote is to present the Venezuelan identity card even if its validity has expired.
Approved by the Venezuelan National Assembly, the referendum over Essequibo contains the following questions:
1) Do you agree to reject by all means in accordance with the law, the line fraudulently interposed by the 1899 Paris Arbitration Award, which seeks to deprive us of our Guayana Esequiba?
2) Do you support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to reach a practical and satisfactory solution for Venezuela and Guyana regarding the controversy over the territory of Guayana Esequiba?
3) Do you agree with Venezuela’s historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial controversy over Guayana Esequiba?
4) Do you agree to oppose, by all legal means, Guyana’s claim to unilaterally dispose of a sea pending delimitation, illegally and in violation of international law?
5) Do you agree with the creation of the Guayana Esequiba state and the development of an accelerated comprehensive care plan for that territory’s current and future population, a plan which includes, among others, the granting of citizenship and Venezuelan identity card, in accordance with the Agreement Geneva and International Law, consequently incorporating such state on the map of Venezuelan territory?
