ICJ Confirms Venezuela’s Final Written Response in Border Dispute Case
by Jayda Jeune | HGP Nightly News.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has officially notified the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana that, on August 11, 2025, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela submitted its rejoinder in the ongoing border controversy case concerning the arbitral award of October 3, 1899.
The rejoinder, filed within the deadline set by the Court’s June 14, 2024, ruling, is Venezuela’s formal response to Guyana’s reply submitted in December 2024. This marks the final written pleading in the case before the matter moves to oral hearings, scheduled after the ICJ’s summer recess, followed by deliberations and a final ruling.
According to international law, the Court’s eventual judgment will be legally binding on both states. In a statement, Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Venezuela’s filing, noting that it ensures the ICJ will have all legal and factual arguments from both sides before delivering its final and authoritative decision.
The statement reaffirmed Guyana’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful resolution through the ICJ, which it described as “the most prestigious and esteemed court in the world.”
On May 2, 2025, the Government of Guyana reiterated its refusal to engage in direct bilateral negotiations with Venezuela, instead urging the Nicolás Maduro administration to respect international law and comply with the Court’s binding orders issued on December 1, 2023, and May 1, 2025. Guyana also called on Venezuela to honor the Geneva Agreement, stating emphatically: “Essequibo is Guyana’s.”
This latest development signals the approaching conclusion of the decades-long territorial dispute, with the ICJ’s ruling set to be final and enforceable.
