HGP Nightly News – The United States says it is closely monitoring developments at the International Court of Justice as Venezuela continues to maintain that its position on the Guyana border controversy will not change.
United States Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg made the disclosure during a press briefing at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown on Wednesday, where he was asked whether Washington would play a mediating role if Venezuela refuses to accept the eventual outcome of the case before the World Court.
“We’re monitoring events at the ICJ very, very closely,” Helberg said, while noting that the U.S. understands that security is a necessary foundation for economic growth and stability.
He added that some of the ongoing discussions would remain private, saying Washington believes meaningful progress can be made through quiet diplomatic conversations.
The comments come at a sensitive stage in the long-running Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodríguez recently told the ICJ that Caracas’ position on the Essequibo region remains unchanged and that Venezuela continues to view the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the proper framework for settling the matter.
Guyana, however, is before the ICJ seeking confirmation of the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. The case was filed by Guyana in 2018, and the recent hearings are part of the court’s process toward a final ruling.
The dispute carries major implications for regional security and energy interests. Venezuela claims the Essequibo region, which makes up more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and includes resource-rich areas linked to Guyana’s oil development. Reuters reported that the Essequibo dispute involves a 160,000-square-kilometre territory rich in oil and gas.
American oil giant ExxonMobil, along with partners Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, operates offshore Guyana, where more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources have been discovered. That has made Guyana’s territorial integrity and maritime security increasingly important to both Georgetown and Washington.
Helberg’s remarks suggest that the United States is not treating Venezuela’s position as a routine diplomatic issue, but as one tied directly to hemispheric stability, energy security, and investor confidence.
The diplomatic pressure is unfolding against a wider regional backdrop. U.S. President Donald Trump recently drew international attention after suggesting that Venezuela could become the 51st U.S. state, a remark reported by the Associated Press and Fox News. AP reported that Rodríguez rejected the remarks while defending Venezuela’s sovereignty.
For Guyana, the immediate concern remains the ICJ process and Venezuela’s declared refusal to shift course. For the United States, the issue now appears to sit at the intersection of law, security, oil, and regional diplomacy.
With the World Court expected to deliberate following the oral hearings, attention is now turning to whether Venezuela will respect the eventual ruling and how far the international community, including Washington, is prepared to go to support a peaceful legal settlement.
For now, the U.S. message is clear: it is watching the case closely, speaking privately, and treating stability in the Guyana-Venezuela matter as central to the region’s future.
