In an already complex and delicate geopolitical scenario, an old territorial dispute takes on new and unexpected contours. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has reignited tensions by claiming sovereignty over the contested region. The situation promises to further challenge international relations.

A long territorial dispute in the region of Essequibo, which covers 159.500 square kilometers and represents two-thirds of Guyana's territory, was reignited by the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. The controversy dates back to the colonial period, when Spain and Great Britain claimed the territory, persisting after the independence of Venezuela in 1830 and Guyana in 1966.

Maduro has invoked a historical nationalism to express Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo, based on claims from the 95th century. Recently, Venezuela approved a popular referendum on the annexation of the territory with XNUMX% popular support. The president stated: “We have taken the first steps of a new historic phase of fighting for what is ours and recovering what the liberators left us: Guiana Essequiba".

In addition to the historical issue, the region is strategically valuable due to its natural resources, such as oil, gold and minerals, and its geographical location, which offers access to the Atlantic Ocean. Experts point out that Maduro's insistence could be a strategy to strengthen nationalist sentiment in Venezuela, which is facing severe economic and political crises, diverting public attention to an external issue and consolidating its internal power.

The international community has been carefully observing the developments in this dispute, while Guyana has sought diplomatic solutions, appealing to the United Nations Organization and International Court of Justice in search of resolutions to the conflict.

Source: moneytimes