Posted on 02/09/2024 8:45:52 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Venezuela is sending troops to its border with neighboring Guyana as tensions continue to escalate over a territorial dispute, raising the risk of a military conflict between the two South American nations.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal citing satellite images and videos made public by the country's military, Venezuelan forces have stationed troops, tanks, missile-equipped patrol boats, and an armored carrier at its border with Guyana.
The dispute comes as Venezuela attempts to annex the region of Essequibo, where the country's socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro has said he plans to “grant operating licenses for the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas, and mines.”
Venezuela is backing up its threats to annex an oil-rich part of Guyana by moving light tanks, missile-equipped patrol boats and armored carriers to the two countries’ border.
https://t.co/yukybKzaEi https://t.co/yukybKzaEi— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 9, 2024
Recent offshore oil discoveries by an Exxon Mobil-led consortium have turned Guyana, a former British colony with a population of 800,000, into one of the world's hottest oil properties.
According to Energy World, Exxon plans to start drilling "two exploratory wells north and west of its prolific Stabroek block, where three oil fields are producing close to 650,000 barrels of oil a day."
"We are not going anywhere," the president of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, told reporters earlier this week.
Venezuela is concentrating military equipment on the border with Guyana amid an escalating territorial conflict between the countries over the Essequibo region , The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, citing satellite images from Maxar and video footage published on social networks by the Venezuelan military.
The newspaper writes that Caracas is transferring equipment similar to light tanks, armored personnel carriers and patrol boats with missiles to the area of the island of Anacoco on the Cuyuni River, which is located on the border of the two countries.
pic.twitter.com/xGo08WSTNE— S p r i n t e r (@Sprinter99800) February 9, 2024
The ratcheting up of tensions comes despite an agreement signed by Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in December, where the two sides agreed to de-escalate threats of physical force and create a joint commission to solve their territorial disputes.
In a statement to the Journal, Guyana's Foreign Ministry said that they were "not surprised by the bad faith of Venezuela" in reneging on that agreement. “We are disappointed, not surprised," they added.
Posting on the X platform on Friday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino launched into a bizarre tirade where he accused Guyana of agreeing to "military alliances" with the U.S. and reiterated the regime's position that it belongs to Venezuela:
The world is upside down! While Exxon Mobil, with the approval of Guyana, announces military alliances with the United States to provide security in the exploitation of oil and gas in waters to be delimited, the Bolivarian government works tirelessly bringing better living conditions, health and education to the Essequiban people, with the support of the Venezuelan armed forces.
The Argyle agreements continue to be threatened by the irresponsible attitude of the Guyana government, while the mainstream media of manipulation and deception make it seem otherwise. Essequibo is ours!
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has reiterated its support for Guyana, with presidential senior adviser Juan Gonzalez telling reporters on Monday that they would help the country continue to "strengthen its defensive capability."
"Supporting Guyana to strengthen its defensive capability as it continues to bring enormous oil windfall on the market is something we have a direct interest in," he said. “We certainly don’t want to escalate tensions, but we have our own strategic relationship with Guyana.”
Let them have a ball.
Has Biden got dibs on the refugees?
One result will be more “migrants” heading northward.
The “Wall Street Journal” drumming it up today but the first three letters in “Maduro” are...
They likely figure that we’re too busy with Ukraine to worry about what happens in our backyard...and they’re right.
So, good time to take some booty. Expect Argentina to do the same soon with the Falklands.
RE: Expect Argentina to do the same soon with the Falklands.
Soon??? How soon?? Not with Javier Millei as their President.
Note to Guyana:
Just hold your ground for a year, and Donald Trump will send you more military/fighting aged men who speak your language (and have a propensity for violence) your way!
Granted, these fellas are cowards, thieves, rapists, and some of the lowest, dirtiest, God-forsaken Animals the West has ever known. But in a “Point and Shoot” war, little experience or expertise is going to be lost when LEOs show up and mow you down.
Biden has already contacted Egypt regarding this.
No worries, joe Biden has been on the red phone with Simon bolivar! For the diplomatic save!
No. Biden should send in a show of force. Just a patrol. Would the Venezuelan military take that risk? Guyans could pay us back with oil. Trump would do it that way.
Venezuela’s got plenty of oil. They don’t deed more unless they have a problem getting it out-blame socialism.
I’d drop a bunch of Venezuelan gang-bangers on them. Out of airplanes with parachutes of course. Uniformed. Make them think they’re under attack.
Yup.
Guyana is our next friendly country which Biden will sell out.
It would not happen if we have some stronger president
My guess is that the Chinese will offer mpney and defense assistance to Guyana real soon, it may already be happening since there is a Chinese presence in South America already in other countries (e.g. Ecuador).
Jammy Cahtah gave the Panama canal to the Chinese (great move Mr Peanut) so transit to the Pacific is not an issue. All they need to do is get a source of cheap oil.
bkmk
Type of oil that Venezuela has...is a different ‘grade’. Purely for commerce reasons, it’d make sense to consume the neighbor.
No one mentions Brazil, but they’ve come to say they’d support Guyana. I won’t say that Brazil has a overwhelming military, but it wouldn’t take more than 5k Army folks and some light Air Force support to hinder any invasion that Venezuela was considering.
Where are they going to get fighters? All of their military aged men are here.
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