Guyana is looking to shore up regional support ahead of an expected International Court of Justice ruling on its border dispute with Venezuela over the resource-rich Essequibo region.

By Denis Chabrol President Irfaan Ali has identified Brazil and Colombia as key partners in the effort, seeking their backing as Guyana prepares for a decision it expects in the coming months. The US, meanwhile, continues to back the existing land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, even as it expands its influence in Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro’s removal.

“Brazil is key,” Ali told reporters Monday, describing the country as “a very important neighbor” whose regional influence is “well-established and well-known.”The diplomatic push comes as the long-running territorial dispute enters a potentially decisive phase. The ICJ is considering whether an 1899 arbitration award that established the border and placed Essequibo within what was then British Guiana remains valid. Venezuela rejects that boundary, and acting President Delcy Rodríguez has said her government won’t recognize the court’s eventual decision, favoring a negotiated settlement instead. The ICJ hasn’t said when it will issue its decision.

Guyana raised the issue directly with Colombia on Friday during a visit by Vice President José Manuel Restrepo and Foreign Minister Omar Bula. Ali said he sought Colombia’s support for ensuring Venezuela complies with the eventual ICJ ruling and that Bogotá had committed to continuing its backing for Guyana. “Colombia has always supported us on the matter of our sovereignty,” Ali said.

Restrepo confirmed that the dispute was discussed but stopped short of saying Colombia had committed to pressing Venezuela to comply with the ruling.

Brazil has also remained in dialogue with Guyana, though there has been no recent intensification of diplomatic talks over Essequibo, according to an Itamaraty official. The dispute remains on the agenda of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s recently reelected government, even as other foreign-policy challenges have demanded greater attention, the official said. Brazil remains focused on easing tensions between Guyana and Venezuela. Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comments.

The stakes have grown as Guyana has emerged as a major oil producer, with Exxon Mobil Corp. and its partners pumping more than 900,000 barrels a day offshore. Exxon and Occidental Petroleum Corp. are awaiting the ICJ ruling before proceeding with exploration in waters off northwestern Guyana closer to Venezuela.

The geopolitical backdrop has also shifted since Maduro’s capture in January, with the Trump administration playing a central role in Venezuela’s political transition and securing broad access to the country’s oil industry.

The US continues to support the 1899 arbitration award as establishing the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela unless a new border is set by a competent legal body or agreed to by both countries, a State Department spokesperson said.

Separately, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot said from Georgetown that Washington would be willing to facilitate talks over the countries’ maritime boundary after the ICJ rules on the land dispute, if both sides agree. “Everything has to wait until the ICJ makes its decision,” she said.

The US hasn’t positioned itself as a mediator, according to Theriot, but would respond favorably if asked. A resolution could also benefit US companies interested in Guyana’s energy resources, she said.

Lula’s Stance Lula, who won reelection Sunday, has consistently defended the principle that legally established borders are inviolable, said Mark Kirton, an honorary senior fellow at the University of the West Indies’ Institute of International Relations. Kirton said he doesn’t expect Brazil to support efforts to resolve the dispute outside the court process.

“Any externally influenced negotiations between Venezuela and Guyana will not be supported by Brazil, especially in the context of a possible redrawing of that country’s borders,” Kirton said.

Venezuela, unlike Guyana, isn’t a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides mechanisms for resolving maritime disputes.

Guyana brought the dispute to the ICJ in 2018, asking the court to uphold the 1899 border ruling.

Tensions over Essequibo, which covers more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and is rich in minerals including gold, have flared periodically. The stakes rose sharply after major offshore oil discoveries transformed Guyana into one of the world’s fastest-growing crude producers.

The ICJ has issued provisional measures ordering Venezuela not to alter the status quo while the case is pending, including after Caracas held a referendum on the territory in 2023 and later moved to organize elections for it.

Rodríguez still regularly wears a brooch depicting a map of Venezuela that includes the Essequibo.