Venezuela is currently experiencing heightened tension as it prepares to conduct a vote on Sunday to determine its legitimate ownership of the Essequibo area, a territory abundant in oil resources that constitutes over two-thirds of Guyana, its neighbouring country.
The Brazilian defence ministry has closely monitoring the situation. The country’s northern border region has experienced an escalation in defence operations, resulting in an increased military presence, as stated in a communication given to AFP.
The International Court of Justice, which is the highest court of the United Nations, issued an injunction to Venezuela on Friday, instructing them to abstain from taking any actions that would alter the existing situation in the disputed area.
Guyana formally requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to intervene and put a stop to the referendum, arguing that it presents a significant and fundamental threat to the country’s very existence.
Guyana, which gained independence from Britain in 1966, has administered Essequibo for more than a century.
However, the area is currently embroiled in a long-standing dispute with Venezuela.
The dispute escalated following ExxonMobil’s oil discovery in Essequibo in 2015, which resulted in Guyana, with a population of 800,000, having the highest per capita crude oil reserves in the world.
The boundary dispute has caused diplomatic discomfort for Brazil, a South American powerhouse that shares borders with both nations.
Gisela Maria Figueiredo, Brazil’s foremost diplomat for Latin American affairs, expressed on Thursday that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s administration was closely monitoring the situation with a sense of “concern.”
