Essequibo: The conflict at
doors of Brazil
The region
Essequibo is a region located west of a river with the same name, being part of what is now Guyana. Its area comprises approximately two-thirds of the entire national territory and it is estimated that 125,000 people live in this area, with the vast majority identifying themselves as Guyanese. In the context of colonization of the Americas, Essequibo was once under the control of Holland, England and, allegedly, Venezuela, when it was still a Spanish colony. This is what Maduro's government is based on to contest the dominance of this region, where oil and natural gas wells were recently discovered. It is worth remembering, however, that Venezuela's claim to Essequibo does not come from today, since since its independence in 1810, the country has been competing with Great Britain for possession of the territory. In 1899, the Paris arbitration award handed over the sovereignty of Essequibo to the British, in a controversial decision unsuccessfully contested by Venezuela.
After years of relative calm, tensions have increased again in the region, given the political fragility that Maduro faces in Venezuela and the discovery of oil. Today independent of Great Britain, Guyana now effectively fears armed conflict, this is because, at the end of 2023, the Venezuelan population voted, through a referendum, for the creation of a state in Essequibo, a decision that has already been made official by presidential decree, even though it is not internationally recognized. In response, military exercises were conducted by Guyana, with support from the US and Great Britain, as the country is a member of the Commonwealth.
Brazil in the conflict
Brazilian authorities see Maduro's stance as a response to the low popularity he enjoys in the middle of a presidential election year. Reviving claims for a territory that makes up the Venezuelan people's identity and national pride is the perfect strategy to recover their outdated political prestige. Even so, Brazil is cautious about the situation and has already sent military troops to its northern borders, close to Guyana and Venezuela. President Lula has, once again, adopted a pacifist stance, as the armed conflict could generate indirect consequences for Brazil, such as the worsening of the Venezuelan refugee crisis.
That said, war is seen as unlikely due to the powers that support Guyana and the damage it would certainly cause to the Venezuelan economy with the presidential elections knocking on the door.
By João Vitor Manna Pires em 02/01/2024
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