Venezuela thinks Guyana’s oil-rich land belongs to them. Will they invade?
By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Investigative Reporter), Brian Spencer (Video Editor)
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
‘Despotic’ Maduro accused of risking Venezuela-Guyana conflict over oil-rich region
Click to see story on The GuardianVenezuela will vote on territory that belongs to recently oil-rich Guyana
Click to see story on CBC NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on abc NewsVenezuela celebra un referendo no vinculante sobre la disputa con Guyana por el Esequibo
Click to see story on InfobaeVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on nprSouth America: Venezuela has a vote on drawing the border with Guyana
Click to see story on Zeit OnlineTension increases on the eve of a referendum in Venezuela over a territory disputed with Guyana
Click to see story on El PaisTensions ramp up between Venezuela and Guyana over oil-rich region
Click to see story on Le MondeVenezuelans vote in referendum to claim sovereignty of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on PBS NewsHourEssequibo: Venezuela votes on claim to Guyana-controlled oil region
Click to see story on BBC NewsVenezuelans vote in referendum over large swath of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on CTV NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KIFIVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KVIAVenezuelans to Vote in Referendum on Guyana Land Dispute
Click to see story on VOA NewsVenezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on The PrintVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on News 4 JAXVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on WPLGVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on WKMGVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Click on DetroitVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Washington Top NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on San Diego Union TribuneVenezuela to hold referendum over Essequibo land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on France24Venezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on DevdiscourseVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KOB 4Venezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on NY1Venezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on UnionLeader.comVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty of a large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on vaildaily.comVenezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on Times of IndiaVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty of a large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Washington TimesVenezuelan president first to vote in referendum on territorial dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on TASS [🇷🇺-affiliated]Venezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on National PostVenezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on The Straits TimesVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty over a swatch of neighboring Guyana
Click to see story on MY NorthwestVenezuela vill ta över två tredjedelar av Guyana
Click to see story on Dagens Nyheter.Right
Untracked Bias
Venezuelanos votam hoje em referendo para anexar 70% do território da Guiana; entenda o que está em jogo
Click to see story on GloboVenezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on The MercuryThis Sunday there is a referendum in Venezuela to annex Guyana’s oil
Click to see story on Jornal ExpressoVenezuelans vote in referendum over large swath of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Jamaica GleanerVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on My Mother LodeUn controversat referendum în Venezuela stârnește temeri că regimul Maduro plănuiește anexarea unei părți din Guyana vecină
Click to see story on Libertatea.roVenezuela to vote on oil-rich region controlled by Guyana
Click to see story on The Toowoomba ChronicleVenezuela: Referendum campaign over territorial dispute with Guyana ends with concert
Click to see story on El TiempoControversial referendum – Venezuela votes on annexation of border region
Click to see story on Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)…Venezuelans vote on Essequibo referendum
Click to see story on NationNewsVenezuelans voted in favour of referendum questions – electoral council
Click to see story on Stabroek NewsReferendum in Venezuela over a territorial dispute with Guyana | Caracas seeks popular support to reinforce its claim to the oil region of Essequibo
Click to see story on Página/12Perché il Venezuela vuole annettere una regione della Guyana
Click to see story on Il PostVenezuela realiza hoje plebiscito sobre anexação da Guiana; entenda o que está em jogo
Click to see story on Revista OesteOil causes tensions between Venezuela and Guyana
Click to see story on De TijdThis is how the referendum is progressing in Venezuela on the Esquibo region
Click to see story on Portafolio.coSüdamerika – Referendum in Venezuela über Grenze mit Guyana
Click to see story on DeutschlandfunkVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on pantheonsite.ioVenezuelaner hävdar rätt till del av Guyana
Click to see story on unt.seVenezuela’s referendum today on annexing Guyana region raises conflict concern
Click to see story on CNN BrasilVenezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on weeklytimesnow.com.auVenezuelanos começam a votar em referendo sobre território disputado com a Guiana – Jovem Pan
Click to see story on Jovem Pan – Esportes, entretenimento, notícias e vídeos com credibilidadeУ Венецуели референдум о припајању великог дела суседне Гвајане
Click to see story on politika.rsVenezuela consulta neste domingo eleitores sobre disputa com Guiana
Click to see story on ebc.com.brCrusoé: “What is the Venezuelan referendum on annexing 70% of Guyana”
Click to see story on oantagonista.com.brDziś Wenezuela zdecyduje w referendum w sprawie Gujany
Click to see story on Defence24Venezuela thinks a large part of Guyana doesn’t actually belong to the Guyanese. Tensions over the issue are mounting to the point there could be an official armed conflict between two South American countries for the first time in three decades.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The tensions center on a disputed part of Guyana called Essequibo. Venezuela, a former Spanish colony, said Essequibo was stolen in 1899 and improperly given to Guyana — a former British colony — by an international arbitration tribunal.
The disputed area is about the size of Greece and makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s total land mass. Essequibo is a geographically diverse region full of mountains, valleys, rivers and dense jungle. It’s also rich in natural resources like gold and oil.
The dispute over Essequibo mostly died down over the last century or so, but it renewed in 2015 when ExxonMobil discovered a massive oil deposit off the coast of the Essequibo region. The deposit is large enough to account for around 1% of total global output once extraction begins.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro just held a referendum in Venezuela on which country should control Essequibo. Venezuelan elections aren’t known for integrity, and — even though very few voters were seen on election day at polling locations — Maduro’s regime said more than 10 million votes were cast in favor of Venezuela annexing Essequibo. That could mean ignoring the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, both of which officially recognize Essequibo as Guyana’s sovereign territory. No one living in the disputed territory was given a chance to cast a ballot.
While politicians and pundits pontificate on the likelihood of a Venezuelan invasion into Guyana, military assets in the region are preparing for the possibility.
Brazil’s military said it is intensifying defensive actions along its northern border while monitoring the dispute. Venezuelan forces are also being observed along the border with Guyana, performing their own military drills.
At 123,000 active-duty soldiers, Venezuela’s military is one of Latin America’s largest and much larger than Guyana’s standing army, which totals around 3,000. Venezuela’s military is armed with modern weaponry like armored vehicles, tanks, fighter jets and naval vessels including patrol boats, submarines and landing craft.
Most of the border between Guyana and Venezuela is mountainous. The thick rainforest and waterways in the Essequibo region would make large-scale troop movements difficult. In this type of environment, smaller squads trained in jungle warfare would make more sense than trying to send in a bunch of tanks that would likely get stuck and make easy targets.
Also, Essequibo is a rainforest. So, the jungle’s canopy and unpredictable weather would no doubt impact aerial operations as well. If an invasion does come, an amphibious assault may make the most sense.
Maduro and Venezuela still have many factors to consider before launching an invasion. The country is trying to regain international favor and put an end to some economic sanctions. Both the U.S. and China are financially invested in the oil fields Venezuela wants to take over. Furthermore, Guyana has military agreements in place with the United States, and the two countries have held regular drills together for the past 20 years or so.
Unbiased news.
Directly to your inbox. Free!
Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ROBERTSON: VENEZUELA THINKS A LARGE PART OF GUYANA DOESN’T ACTUALLY BELONG TO THE GUYANESE. TENSIONS OVER THE ISSUE ARE MOUNTING TO THE POINT THERE COULD BE AN OFFICIAL ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE DECADES.
THE ISSUE IS OVER A DISPUTED PART OF GUYANA CALLED ESSEQUIBBO. VENEZUELA, A FORMER SPANISH COLONY, SAYS ESSEQUIBBO WAS STOLEN IN 1899 AND IMPROPERLY GIVEN TO GUYANA, A FORMER BRITISH COLONY, BY AN INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION TRIBUNAL.
THE DISPUTED AREA IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF GREECE AND MAKES UP ABOUT ⅔ OF THE GUYANA’S TOTAL LAND MASS. ESSEQUIBBO IS A GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE REGION FULL OF MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS, RIVERS, AND DENSE JUNGLE. IT’S ALSO RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES LIKE GOLD AND OIL.
THE FIGHT BETWEEN ESSEQUIBBO MOSTLY DIED DOWN OVER THE LAST CENTURY OR SO, BUT IT WAS RENEWED IN 2015 WHEN EXXONMOBIL DISCOVERED A MASSIVE OIL DEPOSIT OFF THE COAST OF THE ESSEQUIBO REGION. IT’S A BIG ENOUGH DEPOSIT TO ACCOUNT FOR AROUND 1% OF TOTAL GLOBAL OUTPUT ONCE EXTRACTION BEGINS.
VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT, NICOLAS MADURO, JUST HELD A REFERENDUM IN VENEZUELA ON WHICH COUNTRY SHOULD CONTROL ESSEQUIBBO. VENEZUELAN ELECTIONS AREN’T KNOWN FOR INTEGRITY, AND EVEN THOUGH VERY FEW VOTERS WERE SEEN ON ELECTION DAY AT POLLING LOCATIONS, MADURO’S REGIME SAID MORE THAN 10 MILLION VOTES WERE CAST IN FAVOR OF VENEZUELA ANNEXING ESSEQUIBBO; EVEN IF IT MEANT IGNORING THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE WHICH OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE ESSEQUIBBO AS GUYANA’S SOVEREIGN TERRITORY. ALSO, NO ONE LIVING IN THE DISPUTED TERRITORY WAS GIVEN A CHANCE TO CAST THEIR BALLOT.
WHILE POLITICIANS AND PUNDITS PONTIFICATE ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF A VENEZUELAN INVASION INTO GUYANA, MILITARY ASSETS IN THE REGION ARE PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBILITY REGARDLESS.
BRAZIL’S MILITARY SAID IT’S INTENSIFYING DEFENSIVE ACTIONS ALONG ITS NORTHERN BORDER WHILE MONITORING THE DISPUTE. VENEZUELAN FORCES ARE ALSO BEING OBSERVED ALONG THE BORDER WITH GUYANA, PERFORMING THEIR OWN MILITARY DRILLS.
AT 123,000 ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIER, VENEZUELA’S MILITARY IS ONE OF LATIN AMERICA’S LARGEST, AND MUCH LARGER THAN GUYANA’S STANDING ARMY WHICH TOTALS AROUND 3,000. VENEZUELA’S MILITARY IS ARMED WITH MODERN WEAPONRY LIKE ARMORED VEHICLES, TANKS, FIGHTER JETS AND NAVAL VESSELS INCLUDING PATROL BOATS, SUBMARINES, AND LANDING CRAFT.
MOST OF THE BORDER BETWEEN GUYANA AND VENEZUELA IS MOUNTAINOUS.THE THICK RAIN FOREST AND WATERWAYS IN THE ESSEQUIBO REGION WOULD MAKE LARGE-SCALE TROOP MOVEMENTS DIFFICULT. IN THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT, SMALLER SQUADS TRAINED IN JUNGLE WARFARE WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE THAN TRYING TO SEND IN A BUNCH OF TANKS THAT WOULD PROBABLY JUST GET STUCK AND MAKE EASY TARGETS.
ALSO, ESSEQUIBBO IS A RAINFOREST. SO, THE JUNGLE’S CANOPY AND UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER WOULD NO DOUBT IMPACT AERIAL OPERATIONS AS WELL. IF AN INVASION DOES COME, AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT MAY MAKE THE MOST SENSE.
BUT THERE ARE SOME PRETTY BIG FACTORS FOR MADURO AND VENEZUELA TO CONSIDER BEFORE LAUNCHING AN INVASION. THE COUNTRY IS TRYING TO REGAIN INTERNATIONAL FAVOR AND PUT AN END TO SOME ECONOMIC SANCTIONS. BOTH THE U.S. AND CHINA ARE FINANCIALLY INVESTED IN THE OIL FIELDS VENEZUELA WANTS TO TAKE OVER. AND, OH YEAH, GUYANA HAS MILITARY AGREEMENTS IN PLACE WITH THE UNITED STATES, AND THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE HELD REGULAR DRILLS TOGETHER FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS OR SO.
Related
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
‘Despotic’ Maduro accused of risking Venezuela-Guyana conflict over oil-rich region
Click to see story on The GuardianVenezuela will vote on territory that belongs to recently oil-rich Guyana
Click to see story on CBC NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on abc NewsVenezuela celebra un referendo no vinculante sobre la disputa con Guyana por el Esequibo
Click to see story on InfobaeVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on nprSouth America: Venezuela has a vote on drawing the border with Guyana
Click to see story on Zeit OnlineTension increases on the eve of a referendum in Venezuela over a territory disputed with Guyana
Click to see story on El PaisTensions ramp up between Venezuela and Guyana over oil-rich region
Click to see story on Le MondeVenezuelans vote in referendum to claim sovereignty of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on PBS NewsHourEssequibo: Venezuela votes on claim to Guyana-controlled oil region
Click to see story on BBC NewsVenezuelans vote in referendum over large swath of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on CTV NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KIFIVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KVIAVenezuelans to Vote in Referendum on Guyana Land Dispute
Click to see story on VOA NewsVenezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on The PrintVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on News 4 JAXVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on WPLGVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on WKMGVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Click on DetroitVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Washington Top NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on San Diego Union TribuneVenezuela to hold referendum over Essequibo land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on France24Venezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on DevdiscourseVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on KOB 4Venezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on NY1Venezuelans vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on UnionLeader.comVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty of a large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on vaildaily.comVenezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on Times of IndiaVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty of a large territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Washington TimesVenezuelan president first to vote in referendum on territorial dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on TASS [🇷🇺-affiliated]Venezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on NewsVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on National PostVenezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
Click to see story on The Straits TimesVenezuelans vote in a referendum to claim sovereignty over a swatch of neighboring Guyana
Click to see story on MY NorthwestVenezuela vill ta över två tredjedelar av Guyana
Click to see story on Dagens Nyheter.Right
Untracked Bias
Venezuelanos votam hoje em referendo para anexar 70% do território da Guiana; entenda o que está em jogo
Click to see story on GloboVenezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on The MercuryThis Sunday there is a referendum in Venezuela to annex Guyana’s oil
Click to see story on Jornal ExpressoVenezuelans vote in referendum over large swath of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on Jamaica GleanerVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on My Mother LodeUn controversat referendum în Venezuela stârnește temeri că regimul Maduro plănuiește anexarea unei părți din Guyana vecină
Click to see story on Libertatea.roVenezuela to vote on oil-rich region controlled by Guyana
Click to see story on The Toowoomba ChronicleVenezuela: Referendum campaign over territorial dispute with Guyana ends with concert
Click to see story on El TiempoControversial referendum – Venezuela votes on annexation of border region
Click to see story on Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)…Venezuelans vote on Essequibo referendum
Click to see story on NationNewsVenezuelans voted in favour of referendum questions – electoral council
Click to see story on Stabroek NewsReferendum in Venezuela over a territorial dispute with Guyana | Caracas seeks popular support to reinforce its claim to the oil region of Essequibo
Click to see story on Página/12Perché il Venezuela vuole annettere una regione della Guyana
Click to see story on Il PostVenezuela realiza hoje plebiscito sobre anexação da Guiana; entenda o que está em jogo
Click to see story on Revista OesteOil causes tensions between Venezuela and Guyana
Click to see story on De TijdThis is how the referendum is progressing in Venezuela on the Esquibo region
Click to see story on Portafolio.coSüdamerika – Referendum in Venezuela über Grenze mit Guyana
Click to see story on DeutschlandfunkVenezuelans to vote in referendum over large swathe of territory under dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on pantheonsite.ioVenezuelaner hävdar rätt till del av Guyana
Click to see story on unt.seVenezuela’s referendum today on annexing Guyana region raises conflict concern
Click to see story on CNN BrasilVenezuelans vote in referendum over land dispute with Guyana
Click to see story on weeklytimesnow.com.auVenezuelanos começam a votar em referendo sobre território disputado com a Guiana – Jovem Pan
Click to see story on Jovem Pan – Esportes, entretenimento, notícias e vídeos com credibilidadeУ Венецуели референдум о припајању великог дела суседне Гвајане
Click to see story on politika.rsVenezuela consulta neste domingo eleitores sobre disputa com Guiana
Click to see story on ebc.com.brCrusoé: “What is the Venezuelan referendum on annexing 70% of Guyana”
Click to see story on oantagonista.com.brDziś Wenezuela zdecyduje w referendum w sprawie Gujany
Click to see story on Defence24VOTE WITH THE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.™
We promise you context and clarity when it matters the most!
Unbiased news.
Directly to
your inbox.
Free!