VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro has hailed a unified position regarding the defence of the contested Essequibo region during the latest round of peace talks with the opposition in Mexico City.

The parties signed two “partial agreements” on Monday, according to reports, with the accords including action on social protection, coronavirus and the country’s stance on the disputed area controlled by neighbouring Guyana.

The two sides agreed that Venezuela has a “historical and inalienable claim” to the Essequibo region which has been the subject of a century-old dispute between the two nations.

Guyana has stepped up its efforts to seize the Venezuelan territory since the discovery of large oil fields there, which has seen joint maritime operations conducted alongside US warships on the pretext of monitoring drug trafficking.

Venezuelan prosecutors had previously accused Juan Guaido, the opposition figure who proclaimed himself president in 2019, of treason for allegedly planning to hand over the contested area to multinational companies.

He is alleged to have offered to drop Venezuela’s claims to the border territory in return for political support from Britain, with audio recordings reportedly capturing his adviser Vanessa Neumann promising to “deliver the Essequibo” to Exxon Mobil and other multinationals.

Exxon Mobil started drilling in the oil-rich waters in 2019 despite a case over sovereignty of the 60,000-square-mile territory currently being evaluated by the International Court of Justice.

Venezuela rejects its jurisdiction however, saying that the only mechanism that can determine the border is the UN Geneva Agreement of 1966.

Mr Maduro warned on Sunday that talks with the opposition would not lead to “impunity,” with Mr Guaido among those facing numerous accusations and charges in Venezuela.

But he hailed the outcome of the latest negotiations, mediated by Norway, as “a success for Venezuelans.”

Last week the opposition announced that it would end its boycott of elections and take part in mayoral and local polls taking place in November.

Mr Maduro said he welcomed the news and would “get out the popcorn” while watching Mr Guaido cast his vote, which he said showed that the country had a healthy and functioning democracy.

The two sides will meet again on September 24 with discussions to try to resolve the outstanding issues of sanctions and elections.