On December 1, 2023, the International Court of Justice indicated provisional measures [3] in the case of Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela). Guyana requested that the Court order Veneuzela to refrain from holding a referendum planned for December 3, 2023, that Guyana argued was aimed at "abandon[ing the current proceedings before the Court], and to resort instead to unilateral measures to 'resolve' the controversy with Guyana by formally annexing and integrating into Venezuela all of the territory at issue in these proceedings, which comprises more than two-thirds of Guyana."

The Court unanimously ordered Venezuela to refrain from holding the referendum until a final decision in the case, and it ordered both parties to refrain from taking any action that might "aggravate or extend" their dispute.