Venezuelans Vote to Claim Sovereignty Over Oil-Rich Region of Guyana

An overwhelming majority of Venezuelan voters who took part in a referendum regarding most of the territory of neighboring Guyana voted in favor of claiming sovereignty over it. Per the Venezuelan government, as much as 95% of voters supported the claim, with 10.5 million votes counted, Reuters reported. The referendum took part despite the fact that the disputed territory—an oil-rich region called Essequibo—is part of an active case at the International Court of Justice, where Guyana is suing Venezuela for trying to take away most…