Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023–present): Difference between revisions
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| combatant1 = '''{{flag|Guyana}}''' <br> '''Supported by:''' <br> {{flag|Caribbean Community}}<ref>https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/caribbean-news/caricom-leaders-reaffirm-support-for-guyanas-territorial-claims/</ref> <br> {{flag|Commonwealth of Nations}}<ref>Commonwealth of Nations</ref> |
| combatant1 = '''{{flag|Guyana}}''' <br> '''Supported by:''' <br> {{flag|Caribbean Community}}<ref>https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/caribbean-news/caricom-leaders-reaffirm-support-for-guyanas-territorial-claims/</ref> <br> {{flag|Commonwealth of Nations}}<ref>Commonwealth of Nations</ref> |
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| combatant2 = '''{{flag|Venezuela}}''' |
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Revision as of 09:09, 1 December 2023
| 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis | |||||||
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 Area in dispute between both countries in green. | |||||||
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 Brazil |
 Venezuela | ||||||
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The 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis is an ongoing diplomatic crisis between Guyana and Venezuela, relating to the territorial dispute over Guayana Esequiba.
Background
Essequibo started off as a colony of the dutch was founded by colonists from the first Zeelandic colony, Pomeroon conquered in 1581, which had been destroyed by Spaniards and local warriors around 1596. Led by Joost van der Hooge, the Zeelanders travelled to an island called Kyk-Over-Al in the Essequibo river (actually a side-river called the Mazaruni) Dutch colonisation of the Guianas occurred primarily between the mouths of the Orinoco River in the west and the Amazon River to the east. In 1658, cartographer Cornelis Goliath created a map of the colony and made plans to build a city there called "New Middelburg", but the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665 – 67) put an end to these plans. Essequibo was occupied by the British in 1665 (along with all other Dutch colonies in the Guianas), and then plundered by the French. The following years the Zeelanders sent a squadron of ships to retake the area. While the Suriname colony was captured from the English by Abraham Crijnssen, the by then abandoned Essequibo was occupied by Matthys Bergenaar. After 1745, the number of plantations along the Demerara and her side-rivers rapidly increased. Particularly, British colonists from Barbados began settling here. After 1750 a commander of the British population was assigned, giving them their own representation. Around 1780 a small central settlement was established at the mouth of the Demerara, which received the name Stabroek in 1784, named after one of the directors of the West Indian Company. A group of British privateers captured Essequibo and Demerara on 24 February 1781, but did not stay. In March, two sloops of a Royal Navy squadron under Admiral Lord Rodney accepted the surrender of "Colony of Demarary and the River Essequebo". From 27 February 1782 to February 1783 the French occupied the colony after compelling Governor Robert Kinston to surrender. The peace of Paris, which occurred in 1783 restored these territories to the Dutch.
In 1796 it was permanently occupied by the British and by 1800, Essequibo and Demerara collectively held around 380 sugarcane plantations. But it also became involved in one of Latin America's most persistent border disputes because the new colony had the Essequibo river as its west border with the Spanish Captaincy General of Venezuela. Although Spain still claimed the region, the Spanish did not contest the treaty because they were preoccupied with their own colonies' struggles for independence. On 21 July 1831, Demerara-Essequibo was united with Berbice to create British Guiana after Venezuela got its independence it claimed Guayana Esequiba as its own.
After that, Venezuela signed the Geneva Agreement in 1966 with the United Kingdom before the independence of Guyana, which occurred that same year, which established bases for a negotiated solution to the territorial dispute. Under this argument, Venezuela claims its sovereignty over the Guayana Esequiba.[3] Guyana, for its part, argues that Venezuela renounced the territory after the Paris Award.[4]
History
Following discoveries of oil and gas fields,[5] on 19 September 2023, Guyana authorized six foreign oil companies including ExxonMobil to drill in waters claimed by Venezuela.[4][6]
The government of Nicolás Maduro promoted a consultative referendum for 3 December 2023 in which five questions will be asked to citizens, among them, whether they agree to "oppose, by all means, in accordance with the law, the Guyana's claim to unilaterally dispose of a sea pending delimitation, illegally and in violation of international law" and whether they would be in favor of giving Venezuelan nationality to the 125,000 inhabitants of Guayana Esequiba.[7][8][9] The government has criticized the "abuses of ExxonMobil" and the United States Southern Command,[4][9] deploying a media campaign that has appealed to Venezuelan patriotism.[10] The opposition's response was divided: on the one hand, María Corina Machado, the current leader of the opposition political coalition, assured that sovereignty was not consulted, but rather exercised, and asked to suspend the referendum to form a national team with the purpose of filing a claim at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),[11] while Manuel Rosales and Henrique Capriles, both former opposition presidential candidates, were in favor: Rosales called to vote in the referendum and Capriles announced that he would vote.[12] The referendum caused a diplomatic crisis between both countries.[13]
In April 2023, the International Court of Justice ruled that it has jurisdiction over the dispute in a lawsuit filed by Guyana in 2018.[14]
In October 2023, it was reported that the Venezuelan military was building a runway near the border with Guyana's Essequibo "to develop" the region. Guyana's president Irfaan Ali responded by saying the country will not give up "an inch" of the region.[15]
Representatives of Venezuela and Guyana asked in a hearing held at the ICJ in mid-November 2023 that the Court recognize their sovereignty over the Essequibo. Guyana also requested that the referendum be repealed, alleging that Venezuela intended to annex the territory, a request that the Venezuelan government rejected.[5] 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. OAS' Secretary-General Luis Almagro, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United States government expressed their support for Guyana.[16]
In the end of November 2023, the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, met with soldiers who guard the border between both countries. In a video released by the government Ali raised the Guyanese flag at an event on the Pakarampa mountain in Guayana Esequiba, near Venezuela's Bolívar state, where he also took an oath of national loyalty.[9] After these acts, the Minister of Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir 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.[17] The governor of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, assured that "Guayana Esequiba is one hundred percent Venezuelan territory," arguing that Guyana's actions violated the 1966 Geneva agreement, and criticized the fact that the UN and the OAS did not speak out on the matter.[18]
On November 23, senior military officers from the Guyana Defence Force and the Brazilian Armed Forces met for a military exchange. Brazil has been a strong supporter of Guyana in the border controversy.[19]
Brazil currently tries to establish mediation between both countries to avoid an armed conflict.[3] Two teams from the United States Department of Defense are scheduled to visit Guyana in late November.[9] Guyana proposed establishing foreign military bases in its country.[4] The Brazilian Army mobilized towards the border of both countries anticipating a possible Venezuelan occupation.[20] Reports from Brazilian intelligence suggest 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.[21]
Between November 27 and 29, the Brazilian military mobilization includes the deployment of 16 armored vehicles VBTP-MR Guarani from the 5th Army Division to Boa Vista. The Brazilian army has also mobilized Leopard tanks to increase their defensive capabilities. Infantry troops from São Paulo are equally being deployed.[22][unreliable source?]
See also
References
- ^ https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/caribbean-news/caricom-leaders-reaffirm-support-for-guyanas-territorial-claims/
- ^ Commonwealth of Nations
- ^ a b Taglioni, Augusto. "Lula quiere evitar una guerra entre Venezuela y Guyana y manda a un hombre de confianza a mediar". La Política Online.
- ^ a b c d "Guyana se planta en zona reclamada por Venezuela y estudia presencia militar extranjera". Swissinfo. 24 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Venezuela y Guyana se enfrentan en La Haya por el Esequibo". Deutsche Welle. 14 November 2023.
- ^ Veiga, Gustavo (12 November 2023). "Venezuela, Guyana y el conflicto del Esequibo | El 3 de diciembre los venezolanos votan un referéndum sobre la región en disputa". PAGINA12.
- ^ "Venezuela fija para 3 de diciembre referendo sobre territorio en disputa con Guyana". Reuters. 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Peligro de conflicto armado entre Venezuela y Guyana es "grande y real" advierten expertos". Voz de América (in Spanish). 17 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Guyana se planta en zona reclamada por Venezuela y estudia presencia militar extranjera". France 24. 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Venezuela recurre a reguetón patriótico y videos para avivar disputa territorial con Guyana". AP News (in Spanish). 21 November 2023.
- ^ "Venezuela: María Corina Machado dice que el referendo por el Esequibo es un "error" y considera que "debe suspenderse"". Voz de América. 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Capriles participará en la consulta sobre el Esequibo: "Esto no se trata de Maduro"". El Nacional. 29 November 2023.
- ^ Sourtech. "Sube la tensión entre Venezuela y Guyana". El Economista.
- ^ Berg, Stephanie van den; Buitrago, Deisy; Buitrago, Deisy (6 April 2023). "World Court says it can rule on Guyana-Venezuela border dispute". Reuters. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Venezuela construye pista de aterrizaje cerca del Esequibo – DW – 29/10/2023". dw.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ Ferreira, Por Gonzalo (1 November 2023). "Guyana acusó a Venezuela ante la OEA de haber "aumentado considerablemente sus fuerzas militares" en la frontera". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ ""Por ahora, no es guerra": Ministro de Defensa de Venezuela". Urgente24. 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Gobernador venezolano cuestiona silencio de ONU y OEA tras presunta provocación de Guyana". Veintitrés. 28 November 2023.
- ^ "Guyana and Brazil Military Officials meeting on border security and military cooperation". 23 November 2023.
- ^ "El Ejército de Brasil se moviliza por una posible invasión de Venezuela a Guyana". Escenario Mundial. 29 November 2023.
- ^ https://defence-blog.com/venezuela-prepares-for-invasion-into-guyana/
- ^ "Brazilian Army on High Alert Amid Potential Venezuelan Invasion of Guyana". 27 November 2023.