In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, right, accompanied by his Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, waves upon his arrival to Fort Tiuna, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, May 2, 2019. (AP)

Venezuela's armed forces maintain the country's territorial integrity and will continue to defend Caracas' claims to the Guayana Esequiba territory, which has been challenged by neighboring Guyana for over 100 years, according to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez on Thursday.

He tweeted that "the armed forces reaffirm their commitment to guarantee the territorial integrity of Venezuela. We have historical and legal reasons and all the will of the state of Venezuela to keep defending our legitimate claim over Guayana Esequiba. Esequiba is ours!"

Desde la FANB reafirmamos nuestro compromiso con garantizar la integridad territorial de Venezuela. Tenemos razones históricas, jurídicas y toda la voluntad del Estado venezolano para seguir defendiendo nuestro legítimo reclamo sobre la Guayana Esequiba ¡El Esequibo es nuestro! pic.twitter.com/k7cBGjZayC
— Vladimir Padrino L. (@vladimirpadrino) April 6, 2023

The Venezuelan government welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice earlier on Thursday, which found Guyana's claim against Caracas for border demarcation admissible for review, as it may reveal allegedly fraudulent behavior by the United Kingdom in the region, which "forged maps for the 1899 arbitration" in the 19th century, according to the statement.

Venezuela and Guyana, a former British colony that is now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, have been at odds over Guayana Esequiba, an area with substantial oil reserves, for more than a century.

The parties signed the Geneva Agreement in 1966 to resolve the conflict over the border between Venezuela and British Guiana (the previous name of Guyana), but Guyana filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice, requesting that the court legally approve the 1899 Arbitral Award, which gave the country absolute control over the territory.

That said, Caracas has not ratified one of the interim protocols to the 1966 Geneva Agreement. Since 1983, Venezuela has been offering Guyana to engage in direct talks on the issue, but the latter insists on resolving the issue at the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, or the International Court of Justice.