For background on the tensions between Venezuela and Guyana, see Essequibo. 

In a nutshell, over a century ago, in 1899, Venezuela requested the United States arbitrate a dispute between Venezuela and England. Both countries agreed to abide by the outcome. As it turned out, volumes of documentation were available and the dispute was settled.

However, over half a century later, in 1962, under the administration of her celebrated first democratically elected president, Venezuela repudiated the agreement and began announcing her 19th Century claim in official maps and documents.

But it was under Chavismo that the dispute’s temperature shot up.

In February of this year, six Guyanese soldiers were fired upon from the Venezuelan side of the Cuyuní River, the river which for about 60 miles marks the current, internationally recognized border. Guyana filed formal protests which were promptly ignored.

This past Thursday, May 17, Guyanese soldiers were fired upon at least three times from the Venezuelan side by armed men dressed in civilian clothes. This has caused Guyana to “intensify” its military presence along the Cuyuní.

More ominously is the backdrop to all this: the Maduro regime has announced legislative “elections” for the area claimed by Venezuela. Those elections are scheduled to take place next Sunday, May 25. Guyana has forcefully denounced this brazen provocation, although how elections can take place in a foreign country on behalf of another country is a mystery to most. Nevertheless, we have learned not to  underestimate the uses of power when it comes to Socialism.

After Thursday’s incident, Maduro’s vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, who is also the “Minister of Hydrocarbons”, further escalated the provocations by reaffirming the “transcendental” regional elections wherein a governor and legislators for the region will be named and went on to further rhapsodize on this “political opportunity … for the defense … of an energetic political sovereignty over the resources” of Venezuela. 

The area in question is about 62,000 square miles, close to twice the size of the Orinoco Mining Arc and well over half the size of Guyana. 

It would mean the expansion and strengthening of criminal enterprises such as the Aragua Train (Tren de Aragua) and others and their partnership with the Socialist regime in Venezuela. 

And it would mean even more pollution in these and other South American rivers. In fact, there is already terrible pollution in along the banks of the Cuyuní; but no one is very sure if this is due to illegal mining by Venezuelans or Guyanese or both. Guyanese officials have sounded the alarm for years that not energetically intercepting such operations, not only endangers waters, fish, and other sustenance, but also their territorial integrity. 

I believe those officials have been right all along and are now being proved so.

To say tensions are at explosive levels is to put it mildly.

The critical and urgent nature of the major trouble spots in Eastern Europe and Western Asia require our attention and understandably so, given our close to century-long involvements. A righteous nation extricates itself from such with diplomacy and honor and I hope we do so.

However, we must at the least recognize that South America is in our own neighborhood and our commonality with such is far stronger than with the other side of the oceans. We ought to exercise powerful diplomacy to at the least seek to reduce the stresses that have been allowed to surge in the recent generation or two.

I pray we do this well for what happens in our own neighborhood will impact us in the short and in the long run. Alas, it is already affecting us greatly.

View of the Cuyuní River in Guyana

Guyanese patrol boat on the Cuyuní. These patrols have intensified; however, Venezuela’s military buildup is massive

Grave pollution follows illegal mining on the Cuyuní. Guyanese officials plead for intervention to stop this activity as it not only pollutes the rivers but also increases the threat to Guyanese border integrity.

Most official maps now reflect the “Zona en Reclamación”. This area “reclaimed” by the Venezuelan authorities comprises well over half of Guyana and is almost twice the size of the Orinoco Mining Arc.