Venezuela Gears Up For Land Grab in Guyana With Annexation Referendum

Well now that Maduro can do anything he wants after some quid pro quo with the Biden administration he is now gearing up to hold a referendum on annexing disputed lands, which appear to claim more than half of Guyana along the Essequibo river. I had to do some background because I am ignorant of any existing land disputes in South America.

Guayana Esequiba (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaˈʝana eseˈkiβa] ⓘ), sometimes also called Esequibo or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of 159,500 km2 (61,600 sq mi) west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.[1][2] The boundary dispute was inherited from the colonial powers (Spain in the case of Venezuela, and the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in the case of Guyana) and has been complicated by the independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom in 1966. The dispute is closely connected to the territorial waters dispute, with Venezuela claiming almost all territorial waters of Guyana, including all processed and potential oilfields.

In a move that has prompted many to wonder which is the bigger banana republic, Venezuela or the US, Joe Biden's new BFF, Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro (who has promised to export a few barrels of oil to the US president - now that draining the SPR is no longer an option - to keep gas prices low ahead of the 2024 presidential election in exchange for sanction relaxation and defacto recognition by the White House that Maduro is the dictatorially "democratically" elected president of Venezuela, making a mockery of a decade of Western virtue-signaling sanctions), on Sunday Caracas is set to hold a referendum among Venezuelans on annexing (i.e., invading and taking over) a whopping 160,000 sq km of extremely oil-rich land in neighbouring Guyana.

Why now? Why only now when Caracas has for more than 200 years claimed rights over Essequibo, a vast swath of the territory Guyana? Simple: because as we said several days ago, it was only a few months ago that Maduro realized he has leverage over the US president of the "most powerful nation in the world" and get away with anything... even invading a sovereign nation.

Of course, (oil rich but extraction poor) Venezuela's heightened interest at this expanse of Amazon jungle springs in part from its resource riches, including offshore oil deposits that have since 2019 made Guyana the world’s fastest-growing economy. Another reason lies closer to home for Venezuela’s strongman leader Nicolás Maduro: elections next year. But at the end of the day, had Biden not signed a smoky back-room deal with Maduro, admitting he needs the dictator's oil in exchange for what appears to be a diplomatic blank check, none of this would have happened. Instead, we are now facing actual war between two nations which between them have some of the largest oil deposits in the world.

As the FT notes, the potential for Venezuela, an ally of Russia, to follow the referendum with an incursion into western-leaning Guyana has raised concerns in the region. Brazil this week said it had increased the military presence in its northern areas, which border both countries.

“On Sunday December 3, we will respond to the provocations of Exxon, the US Southern Command, and the president of Guyana with a people’s vote,” Maduro said during a broadcast of his weekly television program on November 20.

Guyana correctly fears that the referendum is be a pretext for a land grab, and has appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt the referendum — a move that Caracas has rejected, though its claim to the land is largely internationally unrecognised.

In any case the World Court orders Venezuela to refrain from action in border dispute with Guyana. As if the UN has any real enforcement power.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I had to just post as the browser kept crashing. I doubt he will make any actual military moves lest his country become the first in South America to be liberated in the 21st century. Seems like he is gathering support for his election bid next year as has been alluded by some sources.

Venezuelan here.The referendum is made to scan the electoral arena since there was opposition primaries earlier in October. It is mostly to rally the base of chavismo to vote next year. If you're really interested I have a website in English that post some great stuff on Venezuelan issues.PM me

a reply to: Crespius
Why not just post it here so all of us can explore it together?? Would be more beneficial I believe.

I’ve got my popcorn ready for all the incoming worldwide protests, calls of war crimes, and anti-venezuela hate to fill up the whole of academia and media.

a reply to: Vermilion

No no, your reading yesterdays paper. Now our government loves Venezuela.

I guess if someone can tell me who the squad is for in this, I will know who to root for. (of course, opposite of who they are for.)

In reality, I have not seen or heard much in the US on this, so I don't know much about it. I am replying, so I can see what ya'll are saying. And of course, I am still doing my own research.

The US and it's war hawks are just salivating to bring some good ol' fashioned democracy to that oil filled country... I called it!

a reply to: worldstarcountry
Guyanese here. Maduro and his cronies can say whatever they want but the UN High Courts have already barred Venezuela from altering any control Guyana has in this so-called land dispute. Maduro is all bark and no bite. Guyana is poised to become the richest country in that part of the world due to the massive oil discoveries and Venezuela wants part of it. Not gonna happen.

UN bars Venezuela from altering Guyana's control over territory

a reply to: jaellma2
Just make sure your citizenry is not being totally ripped off with the royalties. I cannot imagine Venezuela making any actual effort in violating your border honestly. Just don't get too comfortable. We all saw what happened in Israel. It's anyone's gambit in this decade.

Venezuela War With Guyana

Alright I'll send the blog website for Venezuelan news in English,I haven't sent links here before so bear with me if it doesn't work. www.caracaschronicles.com

a reply to: JimmyNeutr0n

oh cool, thanks! Lets see what I missed...