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00:00 Venezuela's electoral commission said that voters overwhelmingly backed a five-question
00:04 referendum that aims to validate the country's claim on a region of neighbouring Guyana.
00:10 In a non-binding referendum, a reported 95% of voters supported Caracas' claim to the
00:16 oil-rich Essequibo territory, which Venezuela says was stolen during a border settlement
00:22 in 1899.
00:23 "We are resolving, through constitutional, peaceful and democratic means, an imperial
00:30 dispossession of 150 years."
00:35 Venezuelan authorities said there was a massive turnout, but there was a noticeable lack of
00:39 queues at polling stations for a vote that failed to capture the imagination of the public.
00:45 In Guyana, President Irfan Ali told citizens that there would be no change in the status
00:50 quo and accused his Venezuelan counterpart of populism.
00:54 "President Maduro takes a path that ignores the international order, that ignores the
01:03 international court of justice, that ignores international principles of justice and dignity
01:13 and honour."
01:14 It is unclear what steps Venezuela will take to try to exercise its claim on Essequibo.
01:21 Guyana has asked the International Court of Justice to arbitrate on the dispute, but a
01:25 verdict is years away.
01:27 Before the vote, the ICJ urged Caracas to refrain from modifying the disputed lands,
01:33 but it did not mention the referendum.