Amid escalating tensions with neighboring Venezuela over a disputed oil-rich region, the United States announced on Thursday that it will conduct joint military operations in Guyana, including conducting sorties.
A recent escalation in tensions has occurred along the frontier between Guyana and Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region, which Venezuela has declared its intention to seize and has been under control of for over a century.
Exploration for oil by ExxonMobil in 2015 has exacerbated the protracted dispute over Essequibo, which comprises approximately two-thirds of Guyanese territory.
Following a Sunday referendum that yielded resounding support regarding the fate of Essequibo, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has increased the pressure in recent days.
Twelve-five thousand Guyanaese constituents reside in Essequibo.
An ongoing legal dispute pertains to the delineation of the region’s borders before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
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