British intelligence has reported that another military conflict may start in a few days. This time, the opponents will be Venezuela and the Republic of Guyana, which owns the disputed region of Essequibo. What is the cause of the dispute? Аnd what is the goal of both sides?
The reason for the discord
In every war, the authorities voice very noble words to justify military methods, but the essence of such conflicts always comes down to one of two points:
– distribution of spheres of influence;
– material resources.
In this case, the Essequibo territory became a stumbling block. It covers two-thirds of the entire Guyana and is a delicacy due to its large reserves of valuable natural resources. There are deposits of oil and valuable minerals.
But in 2015, new oil fields were discovered on the shelf off the coast of Essequibo, which marked the end of a peaceful life for the indigenous population.
Two colonies
The region became controversial a long time ago. Venezuela has claimed it since the period when its territories were Spanish colonies, and the territory of Guyana was a British colony. In 1899, the border between these two countries was officially determined. International arbitrators joined it, but Venezuela did not consent that Essequibo went to Guyana for a long time and constantly protested this decision.
In 1966, Venezuela signed a new preliminary agreement with the United Kingdom. This event took place in honor of Guyana’s independence. The arbitration award of 1899 was annulled, and a decision was made to hold negotiations between the two countries to finally resolve the question of ownership of 159,500 square meters of Essequibo.
Venezuela insists that this region is its own, as stated in the last dubious agreement, and Guyana believes that the dispute should be resolved in the International Court of Justice.
The pendulum swings
Dialogue did not happen, and if earlier Venezuela believed that the issue could be resolved through negotiations, after 2015, its desire to speed up events in its favor increased significantly. That is why the decision was made to hold a referendum, at which it will be decided to grant Venezuelan citizenship to 125 thousand residents of this region. Whether the native population of Essequibo and the Venezuelans want this is a rhetorical question, but the referendum has already been scheduled for next Sunday.
The statements of both countries are becoming more and more categorical, and the escalation of tensions is witnessed by all experts.
Moreover, there is already information in the news about the movement of Venezuelan troops in the direction of the disputed region. The USA, in turn, supported Guyana and sent the leadership of the 1st Brigade there. It is believed that the next week will be decisive.
