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Weekly Report - 07 December 2023 (WR-23-49)

Venezuela bangs drum of war but Essequibo invasion unlikely

The long-running dispute over the Essequibo region, which lies within Guyana’s internationally recognised borders but is claimed by Venezuela, entered a new and potentially dangerous phase on 3 December. In a consultative referendum which the Guyanese government has decried as a step towards annexation, Venezuelans voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of declaring their country’s sovereignty over the Essequibo. An attempt by Venezuela to forcibly seize the territory remains unlikely, however, and the referendum instead appears to have been a political play aimed at whipping up nationalist sentiment and generating enthusiasm for President Nicolás Maduro’s government ahead of next year’s election.

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