Venezuela Declares It Has Already Decided How Essequibo Dispute Will Be Resolved — Not by ICJ

Following the conclusion of ICJ oral hearings on May 11, coverage on May 12, 2026 highlighted Acting President Delcy Rodríguez's unambiguous statement that Venezuela considers the border dispute a matter already determined by the 1966 Geneva Agreement's political negotiation process — not by the International Court of Justice. Kaieteur News reported that Rodríguez told the ICJ: 'Venezuela already decided how the border controversy will be determined,' rejecting the court's final determination in advance. The Eastern Herald noted Venezuela's dual rejection: dismissing both the ICJ's authority over the Essequibo and President Trump's suggestion that Venezuela could become the 51st US state. Analysts noted that Venezuela's transitional government under Rodríguez was signaling a pragmatic accommodation with the United States on economic and political matters while maintaining constitutional rigidity on territorial sovereignty — a balance reflecting both domestic political necessity (Essequibo is broadly popular across all factions) and the need to avoid being seen as yielding to external pressure. CNN also published a 'Venezuela without Maduro' retrospective examining the first four months of Venezuela's post-Maduro transition, noting the wide gap between the pace of institutional change and ordinary citizens' living conditions.