2023 Venezuelan referendum

2023 Venezuelan referendum
3 December 2023 (2023-12-03)
Voting systemMajority vote
OutcomeTurnout:
51.01% (officially)
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
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 10,315,485 98.00%
No 210,329 2.00%
Valid votes 10,525,814 99.72%
Invalid or blank votes 29,278 0.28%
Total votes 10,555,092 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 51.01%
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
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 10,322,718 98.27%
No 181,725 1.73%
Valid votes 10,504,443 99.52%
Invalid or blank votes 50,649 0.48%
Total votes 10,555,092 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 51.01%
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
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 10,132,099 98.24%
No 181,725 1.76%
Valid votes 10,313,824 99.51%
Invalid or blank votes 50,649 0.49%
Total votes 10,364,473 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 51.01%
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
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 10,134,189 96.37%
No 381,770 3.63%
Valid votes 10,515,959 99.63%
Invalid or blank votes 39,133 0.37%
Total votes 10,555,092 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 51.01%
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
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 10,070,255 96.37%
No 379,397 3.63%
Valid votes 10,449,652 99.00%
Invalid or blank votes 105,440 1.00%
Total votes 10,555,092 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 51.01%
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox referendum with unknown parameter "declared"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox referendum with unknown parameter "declared"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox referendum with unknown parameter "declared"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox referendum with unknown parameter "declared"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox referendum with unknown parameter "declared"
Guyana–Venezuela
territorial dispute
History

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.[1] The population of the territory in question was not consulted and did not vote as voting only took place within Venezuela.

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.[2] The referendum was one of the contributing factors for the Guyana–Venezuela crisis.[3]

According to the Venezuelan government, more than 95% of Venezuelans who voted selected "yes" on each of the five questions on the ballot.[4] International analysts and media reported that turnout had been remarkably low and that the Venezuelan government had falsified the results.[5]

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.[6]

  1. ^ "Venezuela sets referendum date on territory dispute with Guyana". Reuters. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  2. ^ van den Berg, Stephanie (15 November 2023). "Venezuela tells World Court referendum to go ahead despite Guyana resistance". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ Paredes, Norberto (1 December 2023). "Esequibo: 5 claves para entender el controvertido referendo en Venezuela sobre la región que le disputa a Guyana". BBC News (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. ^ Shortell, David (4 December 2023). "Venezuelans approve takeover of oil-rich region of Guyana in referendum". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023. In a news conference announcing preliminary results from the first tranche of counted votes, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council said voters chose "yes" more than 95% of the time on each of five questions on the ballot.
  5. ^ Luke Taylor (4 December 2023). "Maduro vote to claim Guyana's territory backfires as Venezuelans stay home". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  6. ^ Genevieve Glatsky; Isayen Herrera (6 December 2023). "Venezuela Orders Arrest of Top Opposition Figures, Claiming Treason". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.