Relationship dossier
Guyana
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
A longstanding territorial dispute over Essequibo dominates Guyana–Venezuela relations, alongside limited diplomatic efforts to avert escalation.
Guyana toward Venezuela
-35Guyana has pursued its claim to Essequibo through the International Court of Justice and participated in the December 2023 Argyle talks with Venezuela, agreeing to continue dialogue and avoid force. These steps coexist with a sharp sovereignty dispute.
Venezuela toward Guyana
-75Venezuela maintains its claim to Essequibo, rejects the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction in the case brought by Guyana, and held a 2023 referendum concerning the territory. Heightened military activity and annexation-related measures have intensified Guyana’s concerns.
Overall relationship
-60The unresolved Essequibo dispute is the defining feature of the relationship. Legal proceedings and the 2023 commitment to dialogue and non-use of force provide channels for managing the conflict, but Venezuela’s continued territorial claim and related actions sustain severe bilateral confrontation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Guyana and Venezuela have a severe, longstanding dispute over the Essequibo region, which Guyana administers and Venezuela claims. Guyana has pursued the dispute through the International Court of Justice, while Venezuela has rejected the Court’s jurisdiction and renewed its claim, including through a 2023 referendum and heightened military activity. The governments also agreed in December 2023 to avoid force and continue dialogue, but this has not resolved the dispute.
Areas of tension
- Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region, which Guyana administers.
- Venezuela’s rejection of the ICJ’s jurisdiction in Guyana’s case.
- Venezuela’s 2023 referendum and related measures concerning Essequibo.
- Military activity and the risk of escalation along the disputed border.
Key developments
Guyana and Venezuela signed the Geneva Agreement, providing for a process to address their territorial dispute.
Guyana filed an application at the International Court of Justice concerning the Essequibo dispute.
The governments issued the Argyle Declaration, committing to dialogue and to refrain from using force.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of commitments made in the December 2023 Argyle Declaration remain unclear.
- The future course of Venezuela’s territorial claim and the ICJ proceedings is uncertain.