Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, has directed state-owned corporations to promptly begin searching for and extracting oil, gas, and minerals in the Essequibo region of Guyana. This area is larger than Greece and contains abundant reserves of valuable resources that Venezuela believes belong to them.
The announcement was made one day after Maduro declared success in a referendum held over the weekend to determine whether to assert control over the region.
Maduro announced that he will promptly issue operating licenses for the exploration and extraction of oil, gas, and minerals in the entire region of Essequibo.
In addition, he directed the establishment of domestic branches for Venezuelan state-owned corporations such as PDVSA, a major oil company, and Corporación Venezolana de Guayana, a mining conglomerate.
Venezuelans voted in favor of a referendum, initiated by Maduro, to assert their sovereignty over Essequibo on Sunday.
Venezuela has long argued the territory, which comprises two-thirds of Guyana, was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago. But Guyana considers the referendum a step toward annexation, and the vote has its residents on edge.
Guyana has rejected the referendum as a justification for taking over the land. The country had asked the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the United Nations, to intervene. On Friday, the court ordered Venezuela to refrain from making any changes to the current situation until a decision can be made on their conflicting territorial claims, which may take several years.
According to reports, voter turnout was low on Sunday as many voters chose not to participate. The lack of activity at polling stations sparked accusations that the Venezuelan government manipulated the results.
On Monday, the foreign secretary of Guyana stated that Venezuelans had delivered a powerful message to Maduro. Sources within the Guyanese government shared with the Guardian that they were relieved by the unexpectedly low turnout.
.
The report was contributed by the Associated Press.
Source: theguardian.com
