Having severely damaged their own oil industry, the government of Venezuela is intent on taking control of Guyana’s offshore resources. Venezuela seeks to annex 2/3 of Guyana and the adjacent offshore territory. The existing boundary was settled in accordance with international law in 1899.
Venezuela’s next step is to hold a referendum on assuming control of the contested territory. How thoughtful 🙄
“Question 5 proposes the creation of Venezuelan state of Guyana Essequibo and an accelerated plan for giving Venezuelan citizenship and identity cards to the Guyanese population.”
I suspect that very few Guyanese are interested in Venezuelan citizenship.
Ambassador Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, emphasized that “efforts to infringe upon Guyana’s sovereignty are unacceptable.”
Venezuela’s referendum is scheduled for December 3.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 