Guyana asks World Court to block Venezuela's Esequibo election plans

FILE PHOTO: A member of the National Assembly of the Assembly holds a map showing the disputed Esequibo region as part of Venezuela, as tensions between the Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up in recent weeks over a long-running territorial dispute, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

GEORGETOWN (Reuters) - Guyana on Thursday asked the International Court of Justice to order Venezuela not to proceed with plans to hold elections in the disputed region of Esequibo, saying a vote would violate a prior court ruling, the Guyanese foreign ministry said.

Venezuela will hold provincial elections on May 25, including for state governors. The government of President Nicolas Maduro last year passed a law creating a new state in the disputed territory, despite the ongoing case at the ICJ over which country Esequibo belongs to and a 2023 court order that Venezuela avoid any action that would change the status quo in the territory.