Report: Venezuela Deploys Military Near Guyana Border

Facts

• Satellite images published by a Washington-based think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, on Friday purportedly show increased Venezuelan military activity near its border with oil-rich Guyana.¹
• The images appear to suggest that Anacoco Island, situated at the Cuyuni River and Wenamu River on the Venezuela-Guyana border, is being cleared to build an amphibious base and deploy military tanks.²
• Furthermore, the images suggest the expansion of Venezuelan operations along the disputed border, including the presence of several armored vehicles, a helicopter, a heavy river ferry, and massive stockpiles of construction materials.³
• Guyana's Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd said that Georgetown is aware of Venezuela's 'military posture' on the border, adding that Caracas must 'correct' the 'inconsistencies' between 'what they are doing on the international front in terms of diplomacy and what they are doing back home.'⁴
• Though Venezuela Commander Elio Estrada Paredes recently claimed that more than 65K soldiers are stationed in Anacoco to construct a school and a hospital, the report contends that Caracas is building a military base near the disputed territory allegedly to annex Guyana.⁵
• This comes after Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro pledged not to take military action against his neighbor in December. However, he also claimed that Venezuelans supported him in taking the resource-rich Essequibo region — which makes up two-thirds of Guyana — by force.¹

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Energy Intelligence, ³CNN, ⁴Demerara Waves Online News and ⁵Bloomberg.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by WSJ. Venezuela's military build-up near its border with Guyana revives fears of an escalation of tensions between the two countries as well as Caracas' possible incursions into Guyana. Pres. Maduro's provocative behavior contradicts his commitment to resolve the decades-old Essequibo dispute through diplomatic channels. The US must support Guyana's sovereignty and defend its territorial integrity against potential threats.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Venezuelanalysis. Venezuela and Guyana have been negotiating to resolve the territorial dispute peacefully. However, tensions between the two neighbors flared up only after US oil giant ExxonMobil announced plans to drill two exploratory wells off the coast of Essequibo. Venezuela will take a proportional and lawful response if the US continues to provide military aid to Guyana and carries on with its imperialistic agenda to usurp its natural resources.