Venezuela's leader to defend her country's claim over mineral-rich Guyana region before UN court

CARACAS (AP) — Venezuela ’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday where she will defend her country's claim to a mineral- and oil-rich region in western Guyana before the United Nations highest court in a dispute that has spanned decades.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague is holding a series of hearings with the South American neighbors which both claim ownership of Essequibo — a territory of nearly 62,000 square miles rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources, located near massive offshore oil deposits.

Venezuela has considered Essequibo its own since the Spanish colonial period, when the jungle region fell within its boundaries. But an 1899 decision by arbitrators from Britain, Russia and the United States drew the border along the Essequibo River largely in favor of Guyana.

Venezuela argues that a 1966 agreement sealed in Geneva to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the 19th-century arbitration.

The final court hearing, with Rodríguez's appearance, will take place on Monday. The court is likely to take months to issue a final and legally binding ruling in the case.

After landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Rodríguez — who assumed power in January following a U.S. military operation that ousted Nicolás Maduro — said her country has "demonstrated at every historical stage what our territory has meant since we were born as a Republic.”

The case of Essequibo was brought to the ICJ in 2018 by Guyana to confirm before international authorities that the 1899 ruling — and not the 1966 agreement — is the one drawing the border lines. Venezuela has warned that its participation in the hearings does not mean either consent to or recognition of the ICJ’s jurisdiction.

At the opening of the hearings, Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd told the international judges that the dispute “has been a blight on our existence as a sovereign state from the beginning” and indicated that 70% of Guyana’s territory is at stake.

Presiding Judge Yuji Iwasawa, fifth right, opens the court session of the International Court of Justice for a week of hearings in a border dispute dating back to the end of the 19th century between Guyana and Venezuela, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

FILE - The Essequibo River flows through Kurupukari crossing in Guyana, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Juan Pablo Arraez, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected for throwing an elbow out of frustration at the throat of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid early in the second quarter of Game 4 of their rugged second-round NBA playoff series on Sunday night.

Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul as soon as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the NBA Defensive Player of the Year outside the paint along with teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Spurs.

After a video review of the play, with the fans at Target Center chanting, “Kick him out! Kick him out!,” the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. That penalty triggers an automatic ejection, immediately swinging the balance of a pivotal game in the series toward the Timberwolves. The Spurs took a 2-1 lead with their 115-108 win in Game 3 on Friday.

After Wembanyama slapped hands with each of his Spurs teammates on his way off the floor, with the arena sound system blaring Michael Jackson's “Beat it!,” Reid sank both free throws to give the Timberwolves a 38-34 lead. Wembanyama finished with four points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes.

With Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels in their frontcourt, the Timberwolves have had plenty of muscle and tenacity to send at Wembanyama, even if he's been good enough offensively to overcome it. He had 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor in Game 3.

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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks to shoot against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of Game 4 of a NBA basketball second-round playoff series in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)