Rodríguez Appears at ICJ to Defend Venezuela's Essequibo Claim; Rejects Court's Authority

On May 10, 2026, Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands and appeared before the International Court of Justice to open Venezuela's final round of oral arguments on the Essequibo territorial dispute with Guyana. Rodríguez wore a brooch depicting Venezuela's map with the Essequibo included as Venezuelan territory — a symbolic gesture matching her earlier controversy in April 2026 when the same brooch triggered a formal protest from Guyana's President Ali. In her remarks, Rodríguez stated that Venezuela's position 'cannot be imposed upon' by a court ruling, and that the 1966 Geneva Agreement is the sole valid mechanism for resolving what she called a 'fundamental territorial controversy.' She condemned the 1899 Arbitral Award as the product of a biased arbitration that ignored Venezuela's historical claims. Rodríguez's appearance before the ICJ — highly unusual for a sitting head of government — was intended as both an assertion of state authority domestically and a signal that the Essequibo claim would survive any change in Venezuela's government. Guyana's President Irfaan Ali said after the hearings that Guyana remained 'fully confident' in the ICJ process and expected a binding ruling.