While the world is focused on war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Iran’s proxies that could morph into a wider Middle East conflict and the proxy war that NATO has lost against Russia in Ukraine, a new hotspot made headlines in the mainstream press last week. A potential conflict is brewing that is driven by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to annex the resource-rich Essequibo region of western Guyana in Latin America.
The Essequibo territory is resource-rich that encompasses an area of 61,600 square miles and is home to an indigenous Guyanese population. The land is abundant in offshore oil and natural gas deposits and valuable onshore natural resources such as gold, diamonds, manganese, timber, and freshwater. An interactive graphic is available online to explore the border dispute’s history that dates back to the 16th-18th centuries. Here is a snippet:
Venezuela has laid claim to the region with possession dating back to Spain’s colonial period and a territorial dispute since 1841. In 1899, a treaty of arbitration was “concluded by Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Ireland and United States of Venezuela” that defined the current borders when Guyana was a British colony. From 1962 until 2015, numerous diplomatic attempts were made to resolve the border situation but resulted in a dead end via the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ). The dispute gained momentum after a massive oil discovery with drilling operations awarded to ExxonMobil in 2015, and Maduro issued a decree and reclamation zone “claiming sovereignty over Guyana’s territorial waters.” In 2021, a clash over fishing rights resulted in Maduro stating he would “reconquer” the territory that has “always belonged to his country.”

Map of Reclamation Zone
Oil boom transforms Guyana, prompting a scramble for spoils… “The list of needs is long in this South American country of 791,000 people that is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil producer, placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico, and Norway.” – AP, May 5, 2023
ExxonMobil starts production at third offshore Guyana project… “ExxonMobil started production today at Payara, Guyana’s third offshore oil development on the Stabroek Block, bringing total production capacity in Guyana to approximately 620,000 barrels per day… Some 6,000 Guyanese are now supporting ExxonMobil Guyana’s activities in the country, representing more than two-thirds of the local oil and gas workforce. The company and its direct contractors have spent more than $1.2 billion with more than 1,500 Guyanese suppliers since operations began in 2015. Production started in December 2019. ExxonMobil Guyana Limited operates the Stabroek Block and holds 45% interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.” – ExxonMobil, Nov. 14, 2023
In late November, reports from Brazilian intelligence expressed concern over Venezuelan military movements along the border with Guyana that prompted Brazil’s newly installed socialist regime to “intensify defensive actions” along its northern border to monitor any escalation. Before a referendum vote was scheduled to take place in Venezuela on Dec. 3, the ICJ warned Venezuela not to invade Guyana. Sunday’s referendum denounced Guyanese sovereignty over the Essequibo strip with a vote of approval to reject the ICJ’s jurisdiction and “backed the creation of a new state in the Essequibo region.”
Venezuela: Referendum Delivers Overwhelming Backing for Essequibo Claim… “President Maduro hailed the ‘total success’ of the vote as the start of a new era in the territorial dispute… On Sunday, voters were asked whether they rejected the 1899 arbitration ruling that awarded the territory to the UK and instead supported the 1966 Geneva Agreement that saw all parties commit to an amicable solution, if they opposed the ICJ jurisdiction on the matter as well as Guyanese efforts to extract resources in the Essequibo’s waters. A final question proposed the creation of a new state, Guayana Esequiba, in the disputed territory, granting Venezuelan citizenship to its inhabitants and implementing social programs for the local population. ‘We can report to the Venezuelan people an overwhelming victory with a participation at this moment of 10.5 million votes,’ Amoroso said in a press conference on Friday evening.” – Venezuelanalysis, Dec. 4
Venezuelans Replace Guyana’s Flag on Day of Referendum Vote – Guyana Uncut, Dec. 4
Guyana has no army to speak of and does not have a navy. The country is no match for Venezuela if an invasion takes place. The only mission Guyana’s security force is capable of accomplishing is to blunt an incursion while waiting for international assistance. Given the geopolitics of war taking place on the planet, it’s no coincidence that Russia and China conduct military operations with Venezuela, Iran’s proxy network in Latin America is delivering weaponry, the U.S. government was aware of Hamas’ Hezbollah’s presence in the region over a decade ago, and Brazil is a BRICS member that’s slated to join the OPEC alliance in 2024.
Is Venezuela preparing to invade Guyana? Russia and Iran-ally President Maduro stakes claim to oil-rich region… “Venezuela’s president on Tuesday published a new map of the region showing two thirds of neighboring Guyana ‘reclaimed’ by Caracas and ordered the state-owned energy companies to ‘immediately’ begin exploration in the area, as fears rose that Nicolas Maduro could start a war… He has appointed a general, Alexis Rodríguez Cabello, as head of the region and on Tuesday dispatched him to the town of Tumeremo, a remote mining town in the jungle, 120 miles from the border… Venezuela’s military, backed by Russia, Iran, and Cuba massively outnumbers tiny Guyana’s: the Venezuelan military counts 123,000 active personnel versus only 3,400 for Guyana.” – Daily Mail UK, Dec. 6
Connect the dots and keep an eye on this situation going forward in the western hemisphere because we’re all preppers now. If you invest in gold mining companies, be aware that Omai Gold, Reunion Gold, G2 Goldfields, Aris Mining, and Goldsource Mines all appear to be impacted.
Guyanese president speaks out – CBS News, Dec. 5
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