ELDER Caribbean statesman Dr Ralph Gonsalves is hoping that Guyana and Venezuela will abide by the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the decades-old Essequibo dispute that at times threatened to spill over into military action.

Gonsalves, the former prime minister of St Vincent and Grenadines who brought then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali together in December 2023 as tensions heightened between both countries over the disputed oil-rich border region, shared his thoughts on the matter at last week’s sitting of the Jamaica Observer Press Club.

“I am hopeful that whatever the result of the ICJ, that both sides will abide by the determination of the ICJ. But even after there is a determination by the ICJ I would expect that there would be discussions between Venezuela and Guyana for matters which arise out of the decision,” Gonsalves told Observer editors and reporters.