Satellite images have shown that Venezuela is increasing the number of military bases near its border with Guyana and sending troops to the jungle border. This comes as President Nicolás Maduro intensifies his declarations to annex the neighboring country, which is rich in oil.
At mediation discussions in December, Maduro promised not to engage in military action against his neighboring country. However, recent images shared by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington indicate a potential increase in military presence.
According to Christopher Hernandez-Roy, the deputy director of CSIS’s Americas program, the Venezuelan military is currently engaging in tank drills near Guyana while their foreign minister meets with Guyanese diplomats. This suggests that Maduro is implementing a deceitful strategy.
For a while, Venezuela has asserted ownership over the valuable Essequibo area, which accounts for 2/3 of Guyana. However, Maduro has escalated the nation’s demand for control over the disputed land in the past few months.
In December, following months of campaigning, Maduro claimed that the Venezuelan people supported taking control of the large jungle area by means of a vote.
The footage captured from above reveals that even though Venezuelan representatives later held discussions with their Guyanese counterparts to ease ongoing regional conflicts, the Venezuelan armed forces deployed tanks and patrol boats equipped with missiles to the border.
The report by CSIS cautions that Venezuela’s escalation of behavior could lead to miscalculations and loss of control over events happening on the ground.
Maduro is seeking to bypass the UN court and engage in direct negotiations with Guyana, despite the ongoing arbitration of their dispute in the international court of justice located in The Hague.
Experts interpreted Maduro’s aggressive language as a tactic to gain backing before upcoming elections, but some have proposed that it could also be a ploy to coerce Guayana into splitting profits from recent oil findings.
Despite having abundant resources, Venezuela’s economy has experienced a significant decline over the past decade.
According to Hernandez-Roy, it appears that Maduro’s actions were initially motivated by domestic reasons. However, his current strategy seems to be aimed at pressuring the Guyanese into making concessions.
This week, Brazil sent additional soldiers to its border shared with Guyana and Venezuela due to increasing tensions in the region. The United States also promised to help strengthen Guyana’s defense by providing new planes, helicopters, military drones, and radar technology.
Officials from Guyana will convene with leaders of the Caricom political alliance to address their collaboration with other Caribbean nations.
Source: theguardian.com
