Maduro Calls on Venezuelans to Vote in Referendum on Essequibo

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro called this Friday on the population to vote on the consultative referendum on   Guyana Essequibo, scheduled for next December 3.

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"Today, the National Electoral Council has called for the elections of the consultative referendum of the Essequibo Guyana for Sunday, December 3, 2023. People to the streets, people to vote!" called Maduro.

Earlier in the day, deputies delivered the request before the National Electoral Council (CNE) which, subsequently, declared itself in permanent session in view of the vote to be held next month. 
 
The Venezuelan president expressed his full support to the consultative referendum, urging the country's communes to develop an active debate of the questions of the constitutional referendum. "Let us go out as a family massively to vote for the Venezuelan Essequibo Guyana," the president said. 

The tweet reads, "I welcome the constitutional call made by the Venezuelan Electoral Power for a Constitutional Consultative Referendum for the Defense of our Essequibo. I call on all Venezuelan men and women to vote on December 3. Let us defend the territorial rights of Venezuela!"

Maduro further said that "imperialist countries, transnationals such as ExxonMobil intend to violate the historical and legal rights of Venezuela, and we are responding at all levels, but the greatest response has to be the people of Venezuela."

He also noted that in the next few days an exemplary electoral campaign will be launched to awaken the conscience of the population. "With the popular vote, we are going to say Venezuela is respected. Here are the people empowered, mobilized," the president said.

Venezuelan Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez said for her part, "We inherited the territory of Guyana Essequibo from our father Liberator, Simón Bolívar It was part of our territory since we were born as a republic."

The Venezuelan people are "defending our historical rights against what has been the pretension of one of the greatest territorial plundering committed by the British Empire," the Vice President said.