Venezuela reaffirms historical sovereignty over Essequibo region
3 Min Read
Venezuelan officials highlight historical continuity, citing independence-era actions and a 2023 referendum as the basis for defending the Essequibo region.
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A man walks past a mural of a map of Venezuela, including the territory of Essequibo, in Caracas, in 2023. (AP)
Venezuela has renewed its longstanding claim to the resource-rich Essequibo region, with Foreign Minister Yvan Gil invoking a foundational moment more than two centuries old to assert the territory’s national significance.
Gil said the disputed Guayana Esequiba has been recognized as “part of its historical territory” since the earliest years of Venezuelan statehood, framing the position as inseparable from the country’s identity.
Referencing events from 1817, Gil underscored that Simon Bolívar issued a decree recognizing Guayana Esequiba as a strategic component of the emerging republic. He explained that Bolivar's instruction to add an eighth star to the Venezuelan flag was intended to strengthen territorial unity and emphasize sovereignty over the region.
In a Telegram post, Gil wrote that on November 20, 1817, “Simón Bolívar decreed the incorporation of the eighth star as explicit recognition of the military, economic, and political importance of Guayana during the independence struggle.” He argued that “the decision was not symbolic, but an act that consolidated the sovereignty, identity, and territorial cohesion of the country.”
Linking independence history to ongoing dispute
This historical legacy, according to Venezuelan officials, gives weight to the nation’s continuous assertions over the Essequibo. Gil said that references to the independence period “demonstrate the continuity of the legitimate link with that region,” positioning the territorial dispute not as a modern conflict but as one born with the republic itself.
Tensions have escalated between #Venezuela and #Guyana as the territorial dispute over #Essequibo has resurfaced.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 4, 2023
Here's the history of the dispute between #Caracas and #Georgetown. pic.twitter.com/FX45hY35Ov
Bolívar regarded the region as a crucial bastion during the independence wars, Gil noted, providing the logistical and strategic advantages needed to secure liberation from Spanish rule. The introduction of the eighth star, he added, reaffirmed its importance and Venezuela’s enduring historical claim.
Modern political backing for Caracas’ position
Support for the government’s assertion has also been mobilized domestically. In a national consultative referendum held in December 2023, Venezuelan voters overwhelmingly endorsed defending Guayana Esequiba as an integral part of the national territory.
Caracas rejects the 1899 Arbitral Award that granted the land to British Guiana, calling it invalid. Instead, it cites the 1966 Geneva Agreement, signed with the United Kingdom and Guyana, as the only binding framework requiring the dispute to be resolved through negotiation and mutual accord.
Officials additionally point to the establishment of the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1777 as the moment when the territory was formally integrated, maintaining that no later action can erase that historical continuity, including Bolivar’s decree of 1817.
