Ruptly
"Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Wednesday that his country's legal team had 'dismantled' Guyana's arguments at the International Court of Justice, as hearings continued in The Hague over a long-running border dispute tied to the oil-rich Essequibo region. Speaking after the second day of proceedings, Gil said Venezuela's submissions exposed 'false or manipulated' elements in Guyana's case and reinforced Caracas's position that the 1899 arbitral award, which largely settled the border in Guyana's favour, was 'fraudulent.' "We have seen truly exceptional legal documentation, which has effectively dismantled the argument put forward by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana," Gil said. The dispute centres on the Essequibo region, a vast territory west of the Essequibo River that is claimed by both Guyana and Venezuela. The case before the International Court of Justice focuses on the validity of a 1899 arbitral award issued in Paris, which established the current border between Venezuela and then-British Guiana. Guyana brought the case to the ICJ in 2018, asking the court to confirm that the 1899 award remains valid and legally binding. Venezuela rejects the court's jurisdiction and argues that the ruling was fraudulent. Caracas says the dispute should instead be resolved through direct negotiations under the 1966 Geneva Agreement. Venezuela argues that the agreement reopened the border issue and superseded the 1899 award, while Guyana says it provides a path to settle the controversy, including through the ICJ. Essequibo covers around 160,000 square kilometres, more than two-thirds of Guyana's territory. It is rich in gold, diamonds and timber, and lies near major offshore oil and gas discoveries. The dispute remains one of South America's most sensitive territorial conflicts."
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