...CARACAS, VENEZUELA - MAY 22, 2025: Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in a festive rally on Thursday (May 22) to mark the end of the campaign ahead of regional elections, joined by President Nicolas Maduro as he marched alongside supporters in the capital city of Caracas. The vote, scheduled for Sunday, is considered historic by Venezuelan officials, as it will be the first time residents of Essequibo, a province that is part of Guyana but has historically been disputed between Venezuelans and Guyanese, cast ballots simultaneously for both their governor and local deputies. The dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the 160,000-square-km Essequibo region is before the International Court of Justice. Venezuela’s defense minister says the 1966 Geneva Agreement remains the valid legal framework for resolving the matter, and has accused Guyana of allowing “imperial interference” by granting oil licenses to foreign companies in contested waters.