Guyana–Venezuela crisis (2023–2024)

Common card · No. 424671

The long-standing territorial dispute over the Essequibo region escalated into a crisis in 2023. The region is administered by Guyana but is claimed by Venezuela. The dispute dates back many years and the current border was established by the Paris Arbitral Award in 1899. Venezuela renewed its claim in 1962 and the matter was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2018. Significant oil reserves were discovered offshore in the 2010s, which raised the stakes of the dispute. In September 2023, Guyana granted drilling licenses in the disputed waters. In December 2023, Venezuela held a referendum of its people asking whether the region should become a state of Venezuela and its population become citizens, among other questions. Although the turnout was reported to be low, the Venezuelan government declared that the results showed overwhelming support for such action. Venezuela then took further steps to press its claim such as publishing maps showing the territory annexed to...

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