Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela announced on Saturday, May 2, that it will participate in the hearings regarding the Essequibo territory at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) beginning Monday, May 4. Foreign Minister Yván Gil announced that while Venezuela will attend the proceedings, this does not imply Venezuela’s recognition of the ICJ’s jurisdiction over the territorial dispute.The hearings stem from a process unilaterally invoked by Guyana in 2018, which Venezuela considers a violation of the 1966 Geneva Agreement and of international law. According to the Venezuelan government, the aim of its participation is solely to present the historical truth regarding Venezuela’s sovereign rights over Guayana Esequiba, a territory that it has claimed since its birth as a nation.The Foreign Ministry of Venezuela reiterated that the only viable solution to the dispute is the 1966 Geneva Agreement. “This international treaty is the regulatory framework that must be followed in good faith, with the aim of ending the territorial dispute through a practical, acceptable, and satisfactory settlement for both parties,” the official statement emphasized.Unofficial translation of the statement follows:The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela announces its participation, starting May 4, 2026, in the hearings of the process unilaterally invoked by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana at the International Court of Justice, in clear disregard and transgression of the Geneva Agreement and international law.True to its historical position and the popular mandate expressed in the consultative referendum of December 3, 2023, Venezuela reaffirms that it does not recognize the Court’s jurisdiction in the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, nor any decision it may adopt on this matter. Therefore, its attendance in these hearings does not imply, in any way, its consent to or recognition of said jurisdiction.Venezuela attends these hearings only to demonstrate to the world the truth about its rights to the territory of Guayana Esequiba since its birth.The only possible solution to the territorial dispute, within the framework of international law, lies in the Geneva Agreement. This international treaty is the normative framework that must be followed in good faith, with the aim of ending the territorial dispute through a practical, acceptable, and satisfactory settlement for both parties.Venezuela Reaffirms 1966 Geneva Agreement as Only Valid Legal Means to Resolve Essequibo DisputeThe Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its historical sovereign rights over the Essequibo region and reiterates that it will never renounce the territory that has belonged to it since its birth.The Sun of Venezuela rises in the Essequibo!Caracas, May 2, 2026 Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SC