Less than 24 hours after Maduro sent troops, the United States stepped in and will hold joint military exercises with Guyana
In recent days, the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana has attracted the attention of the international community. After the referendum, the Venezuelan side declared the Essequibo region its 24th state and sent troops to the region to claim sovereignty. For its part, Guyana has carried out defense cooperation with the United States and other countries, and conducted joint air military Xi with the United States to counter Venezuelan pressure. The United States also expressed strong support for Guyana's sovereignty and the use of the region's oil resources to strengthen its political influence in the region. Brazil, the two countries' neighbors, has also expressed concern about the situation in the region and pledged to support Guyana. For its part, China calls on the two countries to properly resolve the border issue through friendly consultations and maintain regional stability, cooperation and development.
The Essequibo region is a coastal region located in the northeastern part of South America, covering an area of about 160,000 square kilometers, rich in oil and natural gas resources. The issue of ownership of the region stems from an international arbitration in 1899 when the United States and the United Kingdom awarded jurisdiction over the region to British Guiana, Guyana's predecessor, and Venezuela never recognized this arbitration, arguing that the area was part of its territory. The two countries have held several negotiations on this issue, but no substantive progress has been made.
Recently, Venezuela has taken a series of strong measures to gain sovereignty over the region. In a referendum, Venezuela received a mandate to include the region in its territory, approved a bill to create a 24th state of Venezuela west of the Essequibo River, and plans to publish a new map of the country. Maduro said it was a firm stance on sovereignty in the region and that he had done it"Be prepared"。This measure has received strong support from the Venezuelan people and is related to the current political and economic situation. In addition, the Venezuelan side has also taken advantage of the changes in the international situation, believing that the United States' involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the war in Ukraine will reduce its intervention in other affairs, thereby creating a regional sovereignty for the Venezuelan side"Favorable conditions"。
Rather than sit idly by, Guyana is actively seeking the support of the international community to defend its sovereignty. Ali ** is working with international allies, including the United States"Defense cooperation"Negotiations and flight Xi with the United States in Guyana. U.S. Southern Command and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will cooperate in the areas of air and maritime security. The U.S. said the Xi exercise was aimed at strengthening the security partnership between the U.S. and Guyana, but it was also actually designed to deter Venezuela. U.S. Secretary of State John Blinken also reaffirmed U.S. support for Guyana's sovereignty and said the U.S. will not tolerate repressive actions by other countries. This position of the United States is motivated by the protection of its allies on the one hand, and by the political interests of the region on the other. The U.S. also values the region's oil resources, and U.S. companies are already working with Guyana to explore and extract oil.
Brazil, the two countries' common neighbour, also expressed concern about tensions in the region and pledged it"Firm support for Guyana"。It is likely that this statement was motivated by concerns about the escalation of the situation in the region, and not for other purposes, as in the case of the United States. It is hoped that the two countries will be able to resolve the border issue peacefully and avoid further conflict.
China has always respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and has always supported the efforts of Venezuela and Guyana to properly resolve the border demarcation issue through friendly consultations. Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin has expressed China's position that this issue is in the interests of the people of Venezuela and Guyana, and is also conducive to the stability, cooperation and development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Tensions in the region continue to rise, and the two countries are on the brink of conflict. A few days ago, a Guyana military*** with seven people on board was reported missing near the border between the two countries. The United States also intends to hold joint military Xi with Guyana to counter the Commission's military action. The international community must closely follow developments in the region and call on both sides to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation.