World Court orders Venezuela to refrain from action in border dispute with Guyana.

On Friday, judges at the World Court gave Venezuela instructions to refrain from taking any actions that might have an impact on the situation on the ground in a territory that could be rich in oil and is the subject of a boundary dispute with Guyana, which is in charge of the region. The issue revolves around the territory’s prospective oil reserves.

Guyana has requested that the court prevent Venezuela from holding a poll on its claims to the territory around the Esequibo River, which is the subject of the ongoing border dispute. However, the court did not specifically stop Venezuela from holding the referendum on December 3.

On the other hand, the International Court of Justice judges, which is the official name for the World Court, made it quite clear that any action that might disrupt the status quo must proceed with caution.

“The court observes that the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute is that Guyana administers and exercises control over that area,” presiding judge Joan Donoghue told the court.

“Venezuela must refrain from taking any action that would modify that situation,” she said.

A response from Venezuela did not immediately meet the court’s verdict.

Venezuelans will vote on five questions in a referendum on Sunday that will have the support of President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. Analysts believe that the referendum will be accepted.

One of the questions that will be asked in the referendum is whether or not Venezuelans agree with a proposal to absorb the region and establish a state known as Guayana Esequiba.

In a statement, the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, praised the court’s ruling.

“As the court has made clear, Venezuela is prohibited from annexing or trespassing upon Guyanese territory or taking any other actions—regardless of the outcome of its referendum on December 3—that would alter the status quo in which Guyana administers and controls the Esequibo region,” according to the press release.

In April, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated that it has jurisdiction over the matter, although it may be many years before it issues a definitive verdict. Venezuela has maintained that the parties involved should work together to solve the problem.

Most of the region surrounding the Esequibo River, which spans 160,000 square kilometers (61,776 square miles), is covered in dense rainforest.

As a result of the discovery of offshore oil and gas in recent years, Venezuela has renewed its claim on the region. Another substantial find was made in offshore regions by Guyana, which was disclosed a month ago.