Recently, Venezuela released the results of a referendum on the disputed territory, which has long been a point of contention with neighboring Guyana. The sovereignty dispute over the Essequibo region stemmed from the colonial legacy of the 19th century, when the United States and Britain privately transferred the region to British Guiana during the Paris negotiations in 1899, and sparked a series of disputes in history since. Venezuela has long held different views on the ownership of the region, and does not recognize the results of the negotiations between the United States and Britain and the "international arbitration" of the International Court of Justice. The results of the recent referendum showed that more than 95 percent voted in favor of the decision to annex the disputed territory to Venezuela. The result was not unexpected, but Venezuela's next move was a surprise. The disputed area occupies 2 3 of Guyana's land territory, and significant oil and gas resources have been discovered in the area in recent years. Venezuela's decision was based on two main reasons: first, the discovery of oil resources off the coast of Guyana, which led to Guyana's tender action;Second, the US military plans to establish a military base in the region, and recently Guyana has publicly called for the establishment of a US military base. Interests and security are important factors in Venezuela's decision to act. The issue of interests can be resolved through negotiations, and Venezuela has previously wanted peace talks with Guyana**. However, the reason for Venezuela's final decision to act was a matter of security. Venezuela is an old enemy of the United States, and if the U.S. military is stationed directly in its backyard, Venezuela cannot guarantee its own security. Maduro said in a national broadcast that the move was in response to provocations by ExxonMobil, U.S. Southern Command and Guyana. And there is only one fundamental reason: the decline of US hegemony, the loss of control, which gives Venezuela courage. With only more than 3,000 troops, Guyana has a huge gap in strength with Venezuela, but because of the control of the US military in South America, Guyana dares to provoke Venezuela. Venezuela is now ramping up its military close to the disputed area, which is also worrying its bordering Brazil, which is massing its military presence along the border to maintain stability along the border. If the conflict escalates, will the United States intervene?This once again puts the United States in a difficult position. U.S. oil majors are the main developers in the region, and the Starbrook oil field is located in Venezuelan territorial waters. For the sake of interests, theoretically the United States may make a move, but this will be bogged down in a three-front operation. The Ukraine crisis is at an impasse, and the United States is hesitant to continue aid;At the same time, a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated, and the main force of the US Navy has been transferred to the Middle East and East Asia. At this time, the backyard is suddenly in danger, and it has to be said that Maduro's ability to grasp the timing is very good. This is the inevitable result of the decline of US hegemony, and the United States will find itself less and less controlled in the Middle East, South America, etc. Before that, the United States had regarded China as the "primary threat," but whenever the United States tried to confront China with all its might, it was always hindered by stumbling blocks.
The issue of sovereignty over the disputed territory of Essequibo dates back to the colonial legacy of the 19th century. This territory was once under the colonial rule of the British, Spanish, and Dutch, and there was a question of sovereignty at that time. During the Paris negotiations in 1899, the United States and Britain negotiated a decision to assign the region to British-ruled Guyana. Although the International Court of Justice claims to have jurisdiction over the ownership of the disputed territory, Venezuela has never recognized the outcome of the negotiations between the United States and Britain and the "international arbitration" of the International Court of Justice. As a result, the Essequibo region has always been controversial.
In the recently announced referendum results, more than 95 percent of Venezuelans voted in favor of the decision to annex the disputed territory to Venezuela. This result was expected, but it brought some surprises. Because the Essequibo region occupies 2 3 of the entire territory of Guyana, such an important area, how could Guyana possibly agree to cede it?What's more, a large amount of oil and gas resources have also been discovered in the region in recent years, which has led to the rapid growth of Guyana's per capita GDP. So why did Venezuela suddenly decide to hold a referendum?There are two main reasons for this.
First, the discovery of oil resources along the northern coast of the Essequibo region gave rise to a tender action in Guyana. Petroleum resources are valuable resources that countries around the world compete for, and the oil reserves in the Essequibo region are huge, and oil giants from all countries have taken a fancy to this piece of fat. Guyana began bidding to attract international oil companies to develop it. Venezuela was aware that if the territorial issue was not dealt with clearly, it could lose control over the region's resources in the future.
Secondly, the US military plans to build a military base in the Ethiopia region, which also became a key factor in Venezuela's decision to act. Not so long ago, Guyana's deputy ** publicly called for the possibility of establishing a US military base, causing a high degree of alarm in Venezuela. Venezuela and the United States have always been old enemies, and the direct presence of US troops in its backyard poses a great threat to Venezuela's security. Maduro mentioned in a national broadcast that the referendum was in response to provocations by ExxonMobil, the U.S. Southern Command and Guyana. Therefore, Venezuela decided to hold a referendum and secure the ownership of the disputed territories at all costs.
In summary, Venezuela's decision to hold a referendum and go ahead was not only due to interests but also to security concerns. Venezuela has always had a hostile relationship with the United States, and if the United States establishes a military base in the Essequibo region, Venezuela will face a serious security threat. Maduro** said that Venezuela's move is to respond to the provocations of the United States and other forces and protect the country's security. For Venezuela, the question of the ownership of disputed territories and the control of resources in the region is not only about economic interests, but also about national security and sovereignty. Venezuela has therefore decided to take action and is not willing to sit idly by in the face of such challenges.
Behind Venezuela's decision to referendum is the weakening of US hegemony and the decline of control, which gives Venezuela a certain amount of courage. The United States has always regarded itself as the hegemon of the world and has tried to maintain its absolute dominance in world affairs. However, over time, the weakening of American hegemony has become inevitable. The United States has been embroiled in crises and conflicts in several regions, such as the Ukraine crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Currently, the Ukraine crisis is at an impasse, and the United States is hesitating to continue aid;At the same time, a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated, and the main forces of the US Navy have already moved to the Middle East and East Asia. At this time, Venezuela's backyard suddenly caught fire, giving the United States a new challenge.
Venezuela's decision is one of the inevitable consequences of the decline of US hegemony, which will find itself less and less in control of the Middle East, South America, and beyond. In the past, the United States has viewed China as the "primary threat," but when the United States tried to confront China with all its might, it was always blocked by stumbling blocks. The same is true for Venezuela. It is only because of the decline of US influence in South America that Venezuela dares to take action to safeguard its interests and security.
If the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana escalates, will the United States intervene?This will be a dilemma for the United States. Venezuela's oil resources are an important target for the US oil giants, and the Starbrook oil field is located in Venezuelan territorial waters. From the perspective of interests, theoretically, the United States may take action, but in the current strategic environment, the United States is caught in the dilemma of fighting on three fronts. Both the Ukraine crisis and the crisis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict require a U.S. response and intervention, and these regions are quite far from America's backyard. In addition, the main forces of the US Navy have also been transferred to the Middle East and East Asia. Therefore, in the current situation, the United States may try to avoid escalating the conflict with Venezuela so as not to further disperse and deplete its own military power.
In summary, the reasons for Venezuela's decision to referendum and take action are both interests and security concerns. With the decline of American hegemony, Venezuela has felt a certain amount of courage to dare to defend its own interests and security. For the United States, in the midst of crises and conflicts in multiple regions, it may not be able to fully intervene in the Venezuelan dispute in a short period of time. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for Venezuela to choose to take action at this juncture to safeguard its interests and security.