A member of the Bolivarian Militias stands guard at a polling station during a consultative referendum on Venezuelan sovereignty over the Essequibo region controlled by neighbouring Guyana, in Caracas on December 3, 2023. Venezuela holds a referendum that it hopes will strengthen its century-old claim to the oil-rich Essequibo territory. The referendum includes five questions, including proposals for the creation of a Venezuelan province to be called "Guyana Essequibo," giving the inhabitants Venezuelan citizenship, as well as a call to reject the ICJ's jurisdiction. The dispute over the Essequibo dates back to 1899, when an arbitration court established the border between Venezuela and Guyana, a former colony of Great Britain and the Netherlands. (Photo by Pedro RANCES MATTEY / AFP)