The Venezuelan government will likely use the results of the referendum on the Guyana territorial dispute to drum up political support ahead of the 2024 presidential election, but Caracas remains unlikely to launch a full-scale invasion of its eastern neighbor, despite Venezuelans overwhelmingly supporting their country's sovereignty claims to Guyana's Essequibo region. On Dec. 3, Venezuela held a national referendum that asked citizens several questions regarding their country's long-standing territorial dispute with Guyana. Over 95% of voters answered ''yes'' to the most controversial question on the ballot, which asked whether they supported the creation of a Venezuelan state in all of Guyana's territory west of the Essequibo River -- a region that accounts for roughly two-thirds of the country -- and its inhabitants given Venezuelan citizenship. Voters also backed the Venezuelan government's rejection of the International Court of Justice's jurisdiction on the long-running territorial dispute with Guyana, which dates back...
