Reports from the international media indicate that there has been a low voter turnout for the December 3 referendum backed by President Nicolás Maduro. International news agencies who were on the ground in Caracas Venezuela to observe the referendum have reported that there has been a low voter turnout for the referendum which seeks support for the claim that the oil and mineral-rich region of Guyana called Essequibo belongs to Venezuela.
The Associated Press reported that there appeared to be low voter turnout in voting centers in Caracas which are usually characterized by long lines during electoral events. Additionally, several international news outlets have also reported that the voting time was extended for an additional two hours ahead of the announced time for the close of polls.
There has been the rollout of a massive campaign by the Maduro government to garner support for and participation in the referendum. However, those efforts seem to not have yielded the desired results.
It is important to note, however, that the referendum has been labeled by the Maduro government as consultative and therefore not dependent on any set number of votes. For its approval. After casting his vote, President Maduro stated that “the first effect that the powerful, united voice of Venezuela should have is to sit with the president of Guyana and go back to the Geneva agreement.” Meanwhile, President Ali who was on the ground in the Essequibo region for most of the day on Sunday, assured Guyanese that there is no reason to be fearful and reiterated that the Essequibo region belongs to the people of Guyana
On Friday the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Venezuela to “ refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area” as one of its provisional measures given before the Venezuelan referendum.