Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana have been heating up lately and could flare up at any moment. According to the global network 6**, CNN and Spain's "El País" and others**, Venezuelan Maduro has sent troops to the border with Guyana to prepare to make a claim to the disputed Essequibo region between the two countries. Three days ago, Venezuela held a referendum to vote on whether to annex the Essequibo region. Maduro claimed that 10.5 million people supported Venezuela's claim to the region and said he would work to implement the results of the referendum.
The Essequibo region is the focal point of disputed territory between Venezuela and its eastern neighbor, Guyana, and occupies two-thirds of Guyana's land area, about 1560,000 square kilometers. However, the dispute has its roots in colonial history and is not just a territorial dispute between the two countries, but also maritime rights. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British colonists took advantage of Venezuela's independence to occupy the Essequibo region and proposed the "Schomburk Line" as the border between the British colony and Venezuela. However, Venezuela categorically rejected the proposal. In 1899, Britain and the United States established an "international arbitration tribunal" in Paris to award Essequibo to British Guiana, but this award has never been recognized by Venezuela. After British Guiana became independent and renamed Guyana in 1966, the two countries negotiated within the framework of the Geneva Accords, but did not resolve the territorial dispute.
However, the recent resurgence of tension in the Essequibo region is not just due to territorial disputes. In 2015, the US oil company ExxonMobil discovered a large amount of oil in disputed waters, with estimated reserves of up to 13 billion barrels. The discovery caused discontent in Venezuela, and in 2015 Maduro announced that the disputed waters would be included in the national defense strategy, leading to sharp tensions between the two countries. Although oil resources may be the most immediate trigger, from a broader perspective, Venezuela, as a global oil power, does not lack oil resources in the Essequibo region. Maduro's provocation of the territorial issue at this time is essentially a manifestation of the chain reaction of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
At present, U.S. assistance on the Ukraine issue is mainly limited to ** support and intelligence assistance, and there is no willingness to directly intervene in regional conflicts. This model of human warfare may have worked in the past, but the United States has clearly underestimated Russia's resilience. Russia has not "disintegrated again", as the West envisioned, and the lack of skills of the United States in Europe and the Middle East has exacerbated international contradictions. Maduro's actions may be a response to this trend. However, the rest of the world also clearly sees the true intentions of the United States, and as a result, tensions between Venezuela and Guyana are likely to trigger more international concern and intervention.
The Essequibo dispute between Venezuela and Guyana has a long history that has not been resolved definitively for a century. The recent upswing is not only about territorial disputes, but also about the global oil landscape and the conflict between international forces. This geopolitical game will continue to affect international relations and become part of the changing world pattern.