Powder Keg America: World Court Forbids Venezuela To Invade Oil-Rich Guyana, as Socialist Dictator Nicolás Maduro Uses Referendum To Distract From His Unpopular Rule


Tensions are running high in South America.

A territorial dispute that’s over a hundred years old has come back to the forefront of geopolitical threats in the region, as Venezuela flexes its political and military muscle against Oil-rich Guyana.

South America’s only English-speaking nation, and former British colony, Guyana is the world’s fastest-growing economy.

The country’s GDP has quadrupled in size over the last five years thanks to massive offshore oil deposits first drilled in 2015.

Some projections show Guyana overtaking Kuwait to become the world’s largest per-capita crude producer – that is, if Venezuela doesn’t annex 75% of the country’s territory.

Yesterday (1), the judges at the World Court ordered Venezuela to refrain from taking ‘any action that would alter the situation on the ground’ in Guyana.

The court did not expressly forbid Venezuela from going ahead with tomorrow’ referendum over its rights to the region around the Esequibo river, as Guyana has requested.

Reuters reported:

“‘The court observes that the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute is that Guyana administers and exercises control over that area’, presiding judge Joan Donoghue said. ‘Venezuela must refrain from taking any action which would modify that situation’,” she added.”

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali celebrated the court’s ruling.

“‘As the court has made clear, Venezuela is prohibited from annexing or trespassing upon Guyanese territory or taking any other actions – regardless of the outcome of its referendum on December 3 – that would alter the status quo in which Guyana administers and controls the Esequibo region’, Ali said in a statement.”

Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez said the court’s ruling was a victory for her country, adding that Venezuela wants a negotiated solution to the dispute.

“The vote ‘will ratify that our rights over the Guayana Esequiba are irrevocable and unquestionable’, Rodriguez said.”

The maritime border between the countries is also in dispute.

Political analysts say is the referendum is a test for Maduro, before the 2024 presidential elections.

“Venezuela’s dispute with Guyana may have an impact on the elections, said security analyst Rocio San Miguel of the Citizen Watchdog on Security, Defense and the Armed Forces.

‘If the elections represent a threat to Maduro’s power, he’ll suspend them through this route’, she said, calling the dispute ‘a perfect distraction tactic’.”

Venezuela militarily much more powerful than Guyana, but it is not expected to stand up to Guyana’s allies, which include the United States.

As the rhetoric heated up, regional power and neighbor Brazil said it would send more troops to its northern border with the two countries.

Bloomberg reported:

“Stoking Venezuelan nationalism could potentially help Maduro in 2024 presidential elections. If the vote were held tomorrow, 13% would vote for Maduro, while 63% would back opposition candidate María Corina Machado, according to Oswaldo Ramirez, head of local polling firm ORC Consultores. However, there are questions over whether the vote will be fair, and whether Machado will be allowed to run.

[…] In September, Guyana’s government provoked Maduro’s rage by saying it would award new oil blocks by the end of the year. The Maduro government said some of those blocks are on waters that have not been delimited, or belong to Venezuela.

‘The referendum is a nationalist political response expressed at a time of weakness for the Maduro government’, said Rocío San Miguel, Venezuela-based president of watchdog group Control Ciudadano.”

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