Ruptly
"Guyana told the International Court of Justice on Monday that Venezuela’s claim to the oil-rich Esequibo region threatens its sovereignty, as hearings opened on the merits of a long-running territorial dispute. Guyana said it fully trusted the ICJ to deliver a fair ruling based on international law and evidence, and pledged to comply with its decision. “We place our fullest confidence in this Court,” Guyana’s foreign minister Hugh Todd told judges. “Whatever the Court ultimately decides will be fair and just.” Guyana’s legal team argued that a 1899 arbitral award establishing the border remains valid and binding, rejecting Venezuela’s challenge to its legitimacy. “The award remains valid and binding on both parties,” lawyer Paul Reichler told the court. Another member of the legal team, Donnette Streete, said Venezuela’s claim covers nearly three-quarters of Guyana’s territory and would amount to “the dismemberment, indeed the effective destruction of the country.” Guyana urged the court to uphold the 1899 ruling and reaffirm its authority to settle the dispute. The hearings relate to a case brought by Guyana asking the ICJ to confirm the legal validity of the colonial-era boundary, which Venezuela disputes. The court is expected to hear Venezuela’s arguments later in the proceedings."
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