the population largely votes for the integration of the Essequibo oil region, in dispute with Guyana

In a referendum held on Sunday, voters voted by more than 95% in favor of the integration of Essequibo into Venezuela.

A clear result. Voters in Venezuela voted, on Sunday, December 3, for the integration of the oil-rich Essequibo region into their country, during a consultative referendum organized by Caracas to legitimize its claims to this territory that it disputes with Guyana. . The vote concluded with a yes victory, with more than 95% of votes in this direction, to the five questions asked, indicated the National Electoral Council (CNE), which however did not provide a participation figure.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated himself on a victory “overwhelming”. “We have taken the first steps of a new historic stage in the fight for what belongs to us, to recover what the liberators left us”, he estimated. During the day, AFP journalists in Caracas, Ciudad Guayana, capital of the Venezuelan region bordering Essequibo, or in San Cristobal (southwest), noted only moderate crowds in the polling stations.

Controversy over the number of voters

The CNE indicated that the vote collected nearly 10.5 million votes. “votes” of the approximately 20.7 million Venezuelans were called to the polls. This figure for the number of votes, without an official announcement of participation, generated controversy, with the opposition accusing the government of trying to hide a high rate of abstention and emphasizing that 10.5 million “of votes” do not mean 10.5 million voters. Henrique Capriles, twice opposition presidential candidate, relayed on “2 110 864″ voters, each entitled to up to five votes, one “resounding failure” according to him. “It is very difficult to understand such results”declared Luis Vicente León, director of the Datanalisis polling institute.

However, this result will not have concrete consequences in the short term: the territory is in Guyana and it is not a vote for self-determination. The vote has sparked concern in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, and on the international stage.