While Guyanese held unprecedented gatherings all across the country to emphasise that Essequibo was an indivisible part of its territory, Venezuelans yesterday approved a referendum called by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to claim sovereignty over the mineral rich region, Caracas’ electoral authority announced last night.
All questions passed with more than 95% approval, according to electoral authority president Elvis Amoroso, who said at least 10.5 million votes were cast for ‘yes’ but did not confirm the number of voters, according to a Reuters report.
Some political and security analysts have called the referendum a show of strength by Maduro and a test of support for his government ahead of a planned 2024 presidential election.
Maduro cheered the “total success” of the vote late yesterday, Reuters said.
“The Venezuelan people have spoken loudly and clearly,” he told a cheering crowd.
According to the Associated Press (AP), few voters could be seen at voting centres throughout the voting period, but the National Electoral Council claimed that more than 10.5 million voters cast ballots.
Reuters witnesses visited voting centres across the country – many had few or no people waiting in line, the news agency reported.
In Maracaibo, in the oil-rich state of Zulia, poll workers told Reuters that turnout was low.
The referendum vote was held in the backdrop of Friday’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Venezuela must do nothing to interfere with Guyana’s control of the Essequibo. Guyana had made an emergency application for provisional measures in the light of yesterday’s referendum which threatened the creation of a state out of Essequibo. Georgetown argued before the ICJ that this constituted annexation.
AP said that throughout yesterday, long lines typical of electoral events did not form outside voting centres in Caracas. Still, before the 12-hour voting session was scheduled to end, the country’s top electoral authority, Amoroso, announced polls would remain open for two additional hours, and he claimed, without giving numbers, “massive participation” in the referendum.
Reuters reported that all questions passed with more than 95% approval, according the electoral authority.
Last night, the Guyana Defence Force said it wished to clarify misinformation circulating on social media regarding a video depicting the hoisting of a Venezuelan flag purportedly replacing the Golden Arrowhead along the country’s Western border in Essequibo.
“The video in question is not from Guyana, and we categorically state that the flag being lowered is not the recently hoisted Golden Arrowhead along our border. Clear distinctions between the two locations are evident in the accompanying photographs. Notably, the recently installed plaque at the authentic site is absent in the video in question. The public must understand that the video’s content is misleading and does not represent any activity or incident within Guyana.
“We appreciate the public’s vigilance and encourage reliance on verified sources for accurate information and urge the responsible sharing of information. The Guyana Defence Force remains steadfast in its duty to serve this nation”, a statement from the GDF said.
Soothe
Yesterday morning, President Irfaan Ali sought to soothe local fears over the referendum and spoke directly to Venezuelans.
Stating that he was not getting into the internal politics of Venezuela or its policy making, the President said: “I want to advise Venezuelans that this is an opportunity for them to show maturity, an opportunity for them to show responsibility and we call upon them once more to join us, to join us in demonstrating maturity and responsibility and allow the rule of law to work and to determine the outcome of this controversy…”
He added “…I want to speak directly to the Venezuelan people. We are your neighbours and we are taught to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Long after this controversy we will live together as neighbours you have to determine within yourself, whether you want to be part of a system that runs afoul with international law…”
Addressing the fears that have arisen here, he said that “…based on all the feedback internationally…based on the support we are getting internationally I want to assure Guyanese that there is nothing to fear over the next number of hours, days, months ahead. Of course, our vigilance will be enhanced but we are working around the clock to ensure that our borders remain intact and the people and our country remain safe.
He commended Guyanese for their response and especially applauded the men and women in uniform stating that their level of commitment and sacrifice and their level of determination is unquestionable.
“So I will ask also those in leadership and responsibility in Venezuela to avoid the type of narrative and propaganda and the type of language that would instil fear and push fear in the population both in Venezuela and in Guyana…”, he said.
Yesterday Venezuelan media cited reports about a low turnout. A low response could be seen as a serious setback for Maduro.
According to El Nacional, coordinators of three centres located in very disparate areas of Caracas reported that as of 15:00hrs yesterday less than 12% of voters had cast their ballots. Not only this, but individuals were seen tweeting on social media site X (formerly Twitter), with photo evidence, that the polling stations saw sparse attendance.
Meanwhile, at around 18:15hrs, when the polls were scheduled to be closed, the National Electoral Council (NEC) of Venezuela announced that it would be extending the voting hours due to there still being voters queued up awaiting their turn to exercise their franchise. President of the NEC Amoroso was reported in El Universal as explaining that the decision to extend the closure time was made “unanimously” by those in authority so that the voters would be able to participate in the referendum.
At the time, Amoroso assured that the process went “perfectly, with massive participation”. Maduro himself along with Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also used the word “massive” to describe the voter turnout.
The reports from the Venezuelan government and its supporters were contrary to other reports that came from opposition parties. One such report came in the form of a video posted by leader of the Primary Justice Party, Juan Pablo Guanipa, where he highlighted areas such as Lara, Aragua, Falcón, Anzoátegui and Zulia as being empty.
Another article on El Universal saw opposition leader Henrique Capriles late yesterday questioning Maduro on the way forward following the referendum. According to Capriles, the Venezuelan citizens themselves are in doubt concerning this since the president of the Bolivarian Republic has been unclear about the next steps to be taken.
“The issue is over, that is, the propaganda is over, the referendum was held (…) Was this referendum necessary to do something? Tomorrow there will be no more excuses,” Capriles was reported as stating.
He also alluded to the low turnout at the polling stations, and pointed out that the campaign for the referendum was a “waste of resources” which “has not resonated well with Venezuelans”.
“Tomorrow, all the economic and social problems of the country will be there. It’s a bit what people are saying by not going to the voting centers,” he noted.
The questions asked at the Venezuelan referendum were:
Do you agree to reject by all means in accordance with the law the line fraudulently imposed by the Paris Arbitration Award of 1899 that seeks to deprive us of our Guayana Esequiba?
Do you support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to reach a practical and satisfactory solution for Venezuela and Guyana regarding the controversy over the territory of Guayana Esequiba?
Do you agree with Venezuela’s historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial controversy over Guayana Esequiba?
Do you agree to oppose by all means in accordance with the law Guyana’s claim to unilaterally dispose of a sea pending delimitation illegally and in violation of international law?
Do you agree with the creation of the Guayana Esequiba state and the development of an accelerated plan for the comprehensive care of the current and future population of that territory that includes, among others, the granting of citizenship and Venezuelan identity card in accordance with the Geneva Agreement and international law, consequently incorporating said state on the map of Venezuelan territory?
