What is the historical basis of Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region?

Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region is rooted in the colonial era, during which the territory was considered part of the Spanish Captaincy General of Venezuela. After gaining independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Venezuela asserted sovereignty over the region, maintaining that its borders extended to the Essequibo River.12

The dispute intensified in the 1840s after the British government commissioned the survey of the "Schomburgk Line," which incorporated the Essequibo region into the British colony of British Guiana. Venezuela rejected this boundary, arguing it encroached on their territory. Although an international tribunal issued the Paris Arbitral Award in 1899—which granted the vast majority of the region to Britain—Venezuela later challenged the validity of this settlement.123

In 1962, Venezuela formally renewed its claim to all territory west of the Essequibo River. While a 1966 agreement established a commission to reconsider the border, the dispute remains a significant point of contention, particularly following the discovery of offshore oil in 2015. It is essential that such territorial disagreements be resolved through peaceful, international legal frameworks rather than unilateral threats or the use of force.425