On December 3, millions of citizens across Venezuela are heading to the polls to vote on an important referendum to decide on the fate of the province of Guayana Esequiba.
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According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), more than 20 million Venezuelans are eligible to cast their votes in 15,857 polling centers in 23 states, 335 counties and 1,141 parishes in a process that started this morning at 06:00 and will terminate at 18:00 local time, provided there are no citizens waiting in line, in which case polls will remain open until the last person casts their vote.
Election officials have ruled that only requirement to vote today is a laminated national identification card, even if it is expired.
Citizens will have to answer yes or no to five questions that were unanimously approved by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and subsequently endorsed by the Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). The five questions are:
1. Do you agree to reject, through all legal means, the fraudulent imposition of the Paris Arbitral Award of 1899 that seeks to deprive us of our Guayana Esequiba?
2. Do you support the Geneva Agreement of 1966 as the only valid legal instrument to achieve a practical and satisfactory solution for Venezuela and Guyana regarding the controversy over the territory of Guayana Esequiba?
3. Do you agree with Venezuela's historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Territorial Justice to resolve the territorial dispute over Guayana Esequiba?
4. Do you agree to oppose, through all legal means, Guyana's attempt to unilaterally assert control over the ocean pending delimitation, illegally and in violation of International Law?
5. Do you agree with the creation of the state of Guayana Esequiba and the implementation of an accelerated plan for the comprehensive care of the current and future population of that territory, including, among other things, granting citizenship and Venezuelan identity cards, in accordance with the Geneva Agreement and International Law, thereby incorporating said state into the map of Venezuelan territory?