ICJ ruling on Essequibo expected by January 2027, says Nandlall

Judgment in the highly anticipated Essequibo territorial case is likely by January 2027, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to finally determine ownership of the Essequibo region, effectively bringing the matter to a close.

This is according to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who expressed confidence in a ruling in Guyana’s favour during his weekly Issues in the News programme aired on Tuesday.

“We anticipate that the ruling will be handed down by or before January 2027,” the Attorney General said, adding that Guyana’s legal team is confident of resounding success.

“Our arguments were far superior in law, well supported by legal authorities, as well as documentary evidence and historical facts, when compared to those of Venezuela,” he said.

He highlighted the invaluable contributions of various individuals, including the late Elizabeth Harper and Sir Shridath Ramphal, both of whom passed away while actively involved in the matter.

He said the recently concluded oral hearings culminated years of work by many dedicated Guyanese and non-Guyanese, and took the opportunity to “recognise and salute” those individuals whose efforts contributed to the comprehensive presentation of Guyana’s case.

Nandlall recalled Guyana’s efforts to uphold its sovereignty despite Venezuela’s refusal to accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction, its incursions into the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a referendum to assert control over Essequibo, and alleged harm to defence force personnel.

He reiterated calls for Venezuela to accept the ICJ judgment as the final and binding ruling on the Essequibo controversy, in order to maintain peace and stability in the Caribbean and Latin American regions.