Venezuela’s Rodriguez Lands in Netherlands for ICJ Essequibo Verdict

(MENAFN) Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez touched down in the Netherlands on Sunday ahead of a climactic hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over a dispute stretching back decades — the contested Essequibo region, a resource-laden territory long claimed by both Venezuela and Guyana, The Washington Times reported.

Speaking after landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Rodriguez declared that Venezuela had "demonstrated at every historical stage what our territory has meant since we were born as a Republic."

Her appearance before the UN court in The Hague is scheduled for Monday, marking the final round of hearings in the case, The Washington Times added.

At the heart of the dispute lies a nearly 62,000-square-mile expanse teeming with gold, diamonds, timber, and significant offshore oil reserves. Guyana brought the matter before the ICJ in 2018, seeking affirmation of an 1899 arbitration ruling that originally demarcated the shared border. Venezuela, however, contends that a 1966 agreement reached in Geneva effectively nullified that earlier decision.

Caracas has also been careful to signal that its participation in the proceedings carries no implicit acceptance of the ICJ's authority to adjudicate the matter.

A binding ruling from the court is anticipated within the coming months, the publication noted.

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