Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023–present)
Irfaan Ali Mark Phillips Omar Khan Robert Persaud Hugh Todd Lula da Silva Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer Joe Biden Nicolás Maduro Vladimir Padrino López Yván Gil Guyana Defence Force National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela The long-standing territorial dispute over the Essequibo region escalated into a crisis in 2023.On 14 December 2023, Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, hosted a meeting of the leaders of Guyana and Venezuela, as an initiative of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which he currently heads.In 1822, independence leader Simón Bolívar ordered his representative in London, José Rafael Revenga, to present an official complaint to the British authorities, writing: "The settlers of Demerara and Berbice have usurped a large portion of land that according to the last treaties between Spain and Holland belong to us on this side of the Essequibo River.Mallet-Prevost said that the American judges and Venezuelan counsel were disgusted at the situation and considered the 3-to-2 option with a strongly worded minority opinion, but ultimately went along with Martens to avoid depriving Venezuela of even more territory.[15][16] Venezuela signed the Geneva Agreement in 1966 with the United Kingdom prior to the independence of Guyana, which occurred that same year, which established bases for a negotiated solution to the territorial dispute.[21] By 1970, after the expiry of the Mixed Commission established according to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, Presidents Rafael Caldera and Forbes Burnham signed the Port of Spain Protocol, which declared a 12-year moratorium on Venezuela's reclamation of the Essequibo, with the purpose of allowing both governments to promote cooperation and understanding while the border claim was in abeyance.In 1983, the deadline of the Port of Spain Protocol expired, and the Venezuelan President Luis Herrera Campins decided not to extend it anymore and resume the effective claim over the territory.In Georgetown, Maduro affirmed that the Geneva Agreement was signed by "an old Acción Democrática government and the old British Empire" as part of a "psyop, through contempt and racism, to invade Guyana".[32] Maduro announced in 2015 that he would take the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and in 2018 Guyana initiated an arbitration proceeding against Venezuela to decide the validity of the 1899 Paris Award.[38] Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips took the case to the Organization of American States (OAS) where he accused Venezuela of a military buildup near the Essequibo border, and warned of the consequences of it for Guyana's sovereignty.[57] Reports from Brazilian intelligence in early December suggested an imminent military move by the Venezuelan Army against Guyana in the coming days, raising concerns about regional stability and territorial disputes in South America.[63] On 4 December, Brazilian defence portal Defesa Net published an article detailing that an anonymous source from a Guyanaese officer claimed roughly 200 Venezuelan special forces had entered Guyanese territory disguised as civilians in order to conduct sabotage and other preparation operations.In a video released by the government Ali raised the Guyanese flag at an event on the Pakarampa mountain in the Essequibo, near Venezuela's Bolívar state, where he also took an oath of national loyalty.[46] After these acts, the Minister of Defence of Venezuela, Vladímir Padrino López declared that the Venezuelan Armed Forces will be "permanently vigilant" of "any action that threatens" the "territorial integrity", asking the population to vote in the referendum and adding that the conflict "for now" is not a war.[66] The governor of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, claimed that "Guayana Esequiba is one hundred percent Venezuelan territory," arguing that Guyana's actions violated the 1966 Geneva agreement, and criticised the fact that the UN and the OAS did not speak out on the matter.[68] In December, through geolocation, the investigative journalism group Bellingcat determined that the video was recorded near Santa Elena de Uairén, in the Venezuelan state of Bolívar and 185 kilometers from where Guyana raised its flag, and not in the Essequibo territory as originally claimed.[78][79] On 5 December, the Brazilian Army mobilised 20 Iveco LMV vehicles to join the newly activated 18th Mechanised Cavalry Regiment based in Boa Vista, being expected to arrive in early January.[89] On 18 December it was announced that the Brazilian Army had sent hundreds of MSS-1.2 anti-tank missiles to reinforce the border with Venezuela, sending the weapons would be a way of deterring a possible threat from the Venezuelan armored force.[90] On 4 December, National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela Strategic Commander Domingo Hernández Lárez made several posts on social media of Venezuelan military working on repairing or building new roads, bridges, airstrips and other infrastructure in the border with the Esequibo region, which he described as "our Guyanese routes".[61][93] On the same day, Brazilian President Lula stated he'd make a presidential visit to Guyana next year,[94] which analysts interpreted as signalling that Brazil would not tolerate Venezuelan military action.[96] The Brazilian Army reported to CNN Brasil that it had detected an increased Venezuelan military presence along the border with Guyana, though it assessed that the buildup by itself still wasn't indicative of an imminent invasion.[100] That night, president of the Venezuelan NGO Súmate, Roberto Abdul, who also helped with the organisation of the opposition presidential primaries, was detained by officials of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service.[101][102] The Venezuelan government also issued orders against opposition leaders and dissident Chavistas, including Yon Goicoechea, Juan Guaidó, Julio Borges, Andrés Izarra, David Smolansky, Lester Toledo, Carlos Vecchio, Leopoldo López and Rafael Ramírez, accusing them of participating in a conspiracy to boycott and sabotage the referendum.[110] The early adoption of the ATGM, still in its evaluation stages, would seek to provide a solution to a lack of dedicated anti-tank capabilities in the Brazilian Army at the time of the border crisis.Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said on social media that Venezuela would stay "on alert following provocations that put at risk the peace and stability of the Caribbean and our America.[115] On February 9, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported on construction works and a troop buildup taking place in a Venezuelan military base in the border between Venezuela and Guyana in Ankoko Island.Videos from Venezuelan military social media accounts and Maxar satellite imagery of the area in the weeks leading up to the January 25 meeting in Brasília showed the construction of a new jungle tank base taking place, as well as the presence of several assets such as IAI Arava and Mi-17 aircraft; EE-11 Urutu, Scorpion 90 and Cadillac Gage Commando AFVs; and a Mabey Compact 200 bridge.[116][117] Venezuelan General Domingo Hernández Lárez, commander of the Strategic Operational Campaign of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces,[116] referred to the satellite imagery in the CSIS's report as being "North American imperial espionage [...] in service of its sepoys".[118] Analysts noted the decision of the Maduro administration to call a referendum may be an attempt to divert attention from Venezuelan internal problems such as the weak economy and high levels of government corruption.[122][123][124][125] James G. Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, stated that Venezuela's actions, including its referendum, were "an echo of Putin's invasion of Ukraine two years ago: a much larger neighbor staking a territorial claim without legitimate international legal grounds, preparing for annexation, making new maps and licking its chops at gaining huge natural resources.
Guyana–Venezuela territorial disputeGuyanaVenezuelaEssequibo regionBrazilUnited KingdomUnited StatesIrfaan AliMark PhillipsRobert PersaudHugh ToddLula da SilvaRishi SunakKeir StarmerJoe BidenNicolás MaduroVladimir Padrino LópezYván GilGuyana Defence ForceNational Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuelanon-combatGuyana–Venezuelaterritorial disputeSchomburgk LineVenezuelan crisisParis Arbitral AwardMallet-Prevost memorandumGeneva AgreementRupununi uprisingPort of Spain ProtocolVenezuelan referendumlong-standing territorial dispute over the Essequibo regionInternational Court of JusticereferendumMercosurRalph GonsalvesPrime Minister of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean StatesCaribbean CommunityColombiaUnited Nationsinternational lawTumeremoDutch colonisation of the GuianasHendrik Hondius IcolonyPomeroonKyk-Over-AlEssequibo RiverOrinoco RiverAmazon RiverSecond Anglo-Dutch WarSurinameDemerara RiverDemeraraBarbadosStabroekWest Indian CompanyRoyal Navypeace of ParisCaptaincy General of VenezuelaSimón BolívarJosé Rafael RevengaindependenceDemerara-EssequiboBerbiceBritish GuianaRoyal Geographical SocietynaturalistRobert Hermann SchomburgkbotanicalgeographicalOrinocoGrover ClevelandCuyuni basinMonroe DoctrineVenezuelan crisis of 1895ruled largely in favour of BritainBarima PointWenamu RiverCuyuní Rivera memorandum written by Mallet-PrevostFriedrich MartensAnkoko islandRafael CalderaForbes BurnhamLuis Herrera CampinsHugo ChávezFidel CastroGeorgetownExxonMobilGuaicamacuto-class patrol boatexclusive economic zoneVenezuelan NavyMargarita IslandAcción DemocráticaCenter for Strategic and International Studiescountries by proven oil reservesBBC NewsSukhoi Su-30nautical milesOrinoco DeltaVenezuelan Air Force2023 Venezuelan referendumconsultative referendumUnited States Southern Commandopposition political coalitionMaría Corina MachadoManuel RosalesHenrique Caprilesdiplomatic crisisrunwayAlliance for ChangeMark Anthony PhillipsOrganization of American StatesLuis AlmagroBrazilian Armed ForcesUnited States Department of DefenseBrazilian ArmyVenezuelan Armyterritorial disputes in South AmericaItamaratyCelso AmorimJosé MúcioPacaraimaMinister of Foreign Affairs and International CooperationPresident of Guyana