Venezuela has claimed the Essequibo region for more than a century. The desire increased especially after the oil deposits were discovered.
After a controversial border referendum with Guyana, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that he wants to declare the oil-rich region of Essequibo, which is under the control of its South American neighbor, a Venezuelan province by law. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he proposed submitting a bill to this effect to the National Assembly.
Maduro also ordered the state oil company to “immediately” issue licenses for oil and gas production and mining in Essequibo.
10.4 million participated in the referendum
More than 10.4 million Venezuelans participated in the non-binding referendum on Sunday. According to Venezuelan electoral authorities, 95 percent of voters supported Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region, which is rich in oil and other resources.
Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall said on Tuesday he would seek help from the UN Security Council if Venezuela took further action after the referendum. His country had already denounced the referendum as an “existential” threat. Essequibo represents more than two-thirds of the land area of the former British colony. 125 thousand of the 800 thousand inhabitants live there.
Venezuela has claimed the Essequibo region for more than a century. The desire increased especially after the oil company ExxonMobil discovered an oil deposit in the area in 2015. In October of this year, another significant oil discovery was made in the region, increasing Guyana’s reserves to at least ten billion barrels – more than those in oil-rich Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates. (APA/AFP)