War for Oil Fears Grow as US Holds Military Drills in Guyana Amid Venezuela Dispute – By Jake Johnson (Common Dreams) / Dec 8, 2023
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered to help forge a diplomatic solution, saying, “If there’s one thing we don’t want here in South America, it’s war.”
U.S. forces held joint military drills within Guyanese airspace on Thursday as a longstanding and intensifying territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana sparked fears of war in South America.
At the center of the dispute is Essequibo, an oil-rich region that Guyana has controlled for more than a century. Venezuela has claimed sovereignty over Essequibo for decades, and the two nations agreed in 1966 to resolve the controversy in a way that’s “satisfactory” for both sides.
On Sunday, 95% of Venezuelan voters approved a referendum in support of declaring ownership over the disputed territory, and President Nicolás Maduro swiftly “ordered the state oil company to issue licenses for extracting crude in the region,” AFPreported.
“The president also gave an ultimatum to oil companies working under concessions issued by Guyana to halt operations within three months,” the outlet added.
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