2023 Venezuelan referendum
A consultative referendum was initiated by the government of Nicolás Maduro regarding Venezuela's claim over the Guayana Esequiba, whose territory is disputed with, and controlled by, neighboring Guyana. The referendum took place on 3 December 2023 in Venezuela. The population of the territory in question was not consulted and did not vote as voting only took place within Venezuela.
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| Voting system | Majority vote | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Outcome | Turnout: 51.01% (officially) 10.2% (per Henrique Capriles) | |||||||||||||||||||||
1. Do you agree to reject by all means in accordance with the law, the line fraudulently interposed by the 1899 Paris Arbitration Award, which seeks to deprive us of our Guayana Esequiba? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | 99.89% | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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2. Do you support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to reach a practical and satisfactory solution for Venezuela and Guyana regarding the controversy over the territory of Guayana Esequiba? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | 99.89% | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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3. Do you agree with Venezuela's historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial controversy over Guayana Esequiba? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | 99.89% | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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4. Do you agree to oppose, by all legal means, Guyana's claim to unilaterally dispose of a sea pending delimitation, illegally and in violation of international law? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | 99.89% | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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5. Do you agree with the creation of the Guayana Esequiba state and the development of an accelerated plan for comprehensive care for the current and future population of that territory, which includes, among others, the granting of citizenship and identity card? Venezuela, in accordance with the Geneva Agreement and International Law, consequently incorporating said state on the map of Venezuelan territory? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | 99.89% | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute |
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| History |
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The referendum consisted of five questions concerning various aspects of Venezuela's claim to territory controlled and administered by Guyana, including rejection of the International Court of Justice's jurisdiction over the dispute, the establishment of a Guayana Esequiba state, and granting its population immediate Venezuelan citizenship. The referendum was one of the contributing factors for the Guyana–Venezuela crisis.
According to the Venezuelan government, more than 95% of Venezuelans who voted selected "yes" on each of the five questions on the ballot. International analysts and media reported that turnout had been remarkably low and that the Venezuelan government had falsified the results.
Following the poor turnout, the chief prosecutor of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, accused opposition leaders of sabotaging the referendum and issued arrest warrants for 15 of them, with charges such as treason and conspiracy. This appeared to be a further attempt to suppress political opposition ahead of the 2024 presidential election, despite free and fair elections being agreed with the US as a condition for lifting sanctions.