Guyana v. Venezuela
ICJ Hearings over Essequibo

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At the northern edge of South America, an old quarrel over oil and territory has reignited. The stage is Essequibo — about two-thirds of Guyana's landmass, nearly 62,000 square miles, rich in gold, diamonds and timber, with massive oil deposits offshore. Guyana and Venezuela are fighting over it at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The May 2026 hearings

From May 4 to 11, 2026, the ICJ held oral hearings on the merits at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Guyana asked the court to declare that the boundary drawn by the arbitral award of October 3, 1899 remains valid. Venezuela, for its part, has repeatedly said it does not recognize the ICJ's jurisdiction; its acting president said in August 2025 the country would ignore a final ruling.

Why it reignited now

The border dispute is more than a century old. It caught fire after huge oil reserves were found off Guyana. Guyana now produces roughly 750,000 barrels a day. The sleeping border woke the moment the oil gushed. In May the ICJ issued a binding order barring Venezuela from holding elections in Essequibo, which Caracas also rejected.

A small state and international law

Guyana has support from CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the EU and the OAS. The question here is whether a big power will abide by an international ruling. Even a binding judgment loses force if a party says "we don't accept it." How far a small oil state can defend its sovereignty with international law as its backing — with Trump's involvement also in play — makes Essequibo a test where resources, territory and international order intersect.

The moment the oil gushed, a sleeping border woke up.

※ This article is the author’s commentary based on public information. Please confirm the latest figures, dates and procedures with governments and primary sources. Quotations are kept minimal and sources are cited.