Essequibo Dispute: Venezuela and Guyana Agree Not to Use Force

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Facts

  • Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro and Guyana's Pres. Irfaan Ali have reaffirmed their commitment to peace in the disputed oil-rich Essequibo region, agreeing to continue dialogue and not to use force to settle the controversy.1
  • This comes as they met in the Caribbean island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday in the presence of members of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), representatives of the Brazilian government, and UN observers.2
  • Though issuing a joint declaration vowing to refrain from escalating any conflict, both parties failed to reach a deal on how to resolve the dispute. Ali and Maduro agreed to create a joint commission to address the problem and meet again in Brazil within the next three months.3
  • Disputes over Essequibo, a region that accounts for two-thirds of Guyanese territory and is home to 15% of its population, date back to the 19th century, with the territory awarded to Guyana by international arbitrators in 1899. Venezuela has renewed its claims following ExxonMobil's major discovery of oil in Essequibo's offshore waters in 2015.4
  • Tensions soared earlier this month as a Venezuelan referendum approved the creation of a state within the Essequibo region, a move that Guyana has called a step toward annexation and an existential threat.5
  • As the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to rule in favor of Guyana keeping the territory, Caracas has sought to push for negotiations while Georgetown argues the issue must be resolved there. Last week, US Southern Command carried out airborne maneuvers with the Guyana Defense Forces.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2El país english, 3Associated Press, 4Dw.com, 5CNN and 6Forbes.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by News source guyana. While this deal has eased fears of war following weeks of Venezuelan aggression, it doesn't mean that Guyana will retreat from its position of sovereignty over Essequibo. The ICJ must provide a final ruling on the matter, and it is up to Venezuela and them alone to come to terms with the legal norms that continue to preside over global current affairs.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Venezuelanalysis. Although the tense meeting has not produced an immediate end to tension, it was certainly a diplomatic breakthrough after repeated refusals by Guyanese officials to engage in direct dialogue with their Venezuelan counterparts and prospects of a US military intervention to help Guyana protect the interests of ExxonMobil. The ICJ has no jurisdiction over this matter, so a bilateral deal must be found.

Predictions