Delcy Rodriguez arrives in the Netherlands for a crucial hearing in the oil territory of Esequibo

Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has arrived in the Netherlands to participate in a hearing before the International Court of Justice regarding the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the Esequibo region.

According to a statement from the Venezuelan presidential office, Delcy Rodriguez will lead the Caracas delegation at the hearing in The Hague on Monday. This dispute, which is over a century old, concerns a vast region rich in oil and natural resources, claimed by both South American countries.

Guyana filed a case with the International Court of Justice in 2018 seeking official recognition of an 1899 arbitration award that assigned the territory to former British Guiana. Caracas has long contested this decision, which it considers unjust and a legacy of the colonial era.

The Court's final judgment is not expected for several months. The decisions of the UN court are binding and without possibility of appeal, but their implementation then depends on the United Nations Security Council, as the Court has no direct means of enforcing them.Reuters)

This trip also marks Delcy Rodriguez's first trip to Europe since coming to power after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States in a military operation in January 2026. This exceptional political transition has profoundly altered the Venezuelan political landscape.

Delcy Rodriguez had previously been subject to sanctions and a travel ban imposed by the European Union, which accused several high-ranking Venezuelan officials of undermining the country's democratic institutions. Her presence in The Hague illustrates the strategic importance Caracas attaches to the Essequibo issue, which has become a central matter of national sovereignty.

The disputed region comprises more than two-thirds of Guyana's territory and lies near significant offshore oil and gas fields discovered in recent years. This energy wealth has reignited tensions between the two neighbors and heightened international attention on the issue.