Venezuela and Guyana Adress the Essequibo Issue in Brazil

On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Ministers Yvan Gil (Venezuela) and Hugh Todd (Guyana) meet in Brasilia to continue the dialogue between their countries and ease tensions caused by the territorial dispute related to the Essequibo region.

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This is the first high-level bilateral meeting since Dec. 14, 2023, when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali held talks in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

The encounter is mediated by Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira and representatives from the governments of St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Dominica.

Upon arrival in Brasilia, FM Gil expressed that the Venezuelan delegation comes with a "spirit of goodwill" and hopes that the Guyanese diplomats arrive with the same attitude.

He said that the discussions will be based on agreements that contemplate "avoiding the possibility of involving foreign military powers" and channeling the entire dispute within the framework of international law.

The Essequibo is an area of ​​160,000 square kilometers rich in natural resources, oil, and minerals. Late last year, tensions between Venezuela and Guyana escalated due to the presence of a UK warship in the area.

In response to this, President Maduro ordered the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to deploy 5,682 soldiers, 28 aircraft, and 16 vessels for a series of military exercises. Previously, through a referendum held on December, Venezuelans ratified their country's sovereignty over the Essequibo region and their willingness to defend it.

In this area, transnational oil companies such as ExxonMobil are currently carrying out energy projects, even though the territorial dispute has not yet been resolved.