MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Military build-up reported as tension between Venezuela and Guyana escalates

Neighboring Brazil is sending additional troops to the border with Venezuela and Guyana

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Tuesday announced the creation of a military division for the Guiana Essequiba area, which the country claims as its own, particularly after Sunday's referendum, it was reported in Caracas. The Essequibo is home to 125,000 of Guyana's 800,000 citizens.

Maduro also proposed a law to implement the results of Sunday's referendum, in which Venezuelans unilaterally approved the annexation of the territory of almost 160,000 square kilometers. It is an “organic law to regulate the creation of the state of Guayana Esequiba,” he explained.

He also confirmed the creation of a military division with its headquarters in Tumeremo. ”The Zone of Integral Defense (Zodi) Guaiana Essequiba is created, with three areas of development (...), militarily and administratively dependent on the Region of Integral Defense (Redi) Guayana,“ Maduro announced.

Given the military build-up in the region, Guyanese authorities said Tuesday that the UN Security Council would be approached for help. Guyana's Attorney General Anil Nandlall told AFP that ”any action or any attempt to take any action pursuant to the referendum will necessitate a resort to the UN Security Council as an injured party.“ He also said Guyana would invoke Articles 41 and 42 of the UN Charter which can authorize sanctions or military action to maintain or restore international peace and security.

”In terms of military, it (the UNSC) can authorize the use of armed forces by member states to assist in the enforcement” of any orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Nandlall said.

Last Sunday, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali warned that if Venezuela ignored the ICJ's orders, “it will be a great injustice to the people of Venezuela because ultimately that path would lead to the suffering of the people of Venezuela.”

In this scenario, neighboring Brazil is sending additional troops to the border with Venezuela and Guyana. The plan, approved in September, foresees the creation of a tank regiment in the Amazonian state of Roraima, bordering both countries. However, the Army Command decided to “anticipate” the creation of the regiment and the sending of military personnel to the area “to guarantee the inviolability” of the Brazilian borders.

Brazil has urged Venezuela and Guyana to resolve their territorial differences through diplomatic means. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met last week with Irfaan Ali during the COP28 in Dubai.