Venezuelan Referendum Indicates Strong Support for Its Claiming Of An Oil-Rich Region in Guyana

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In a Sunday referendum in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro’s government achieved the sought-after victory, with Venezuelan Election Authorities claiming that 95% of voters approved the territorial claims over a region located in the neighboring country of Guyana.

President Maduro celebrated what he described as “a resounding triumph for the ‘Yes’ across Venezuela.”

“We have taken the first steps of a new historic stage in the struggle for what belongs to us, to recover what the liberators left us,” he stated.

On Monday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council disclosed the participation in the referendum, noting around 10.5 million voters, representing slightly over half of the 20.6 million eligible individuals.

Nevertheless, election observers expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the vote, as the Associated Press reported that long lines outside polling centers were notably absent.

Venezuela has reactivated its claim of the potentially oil-rich Essequibo region, spanning 160,000 square km (61,776 square miles) around the Essequibo River. This claim has been rekindled following the discovery of offshore oil and gas.

Additionally, there is an ongoing dispute over the maritime border between the Venezuela and Guyana.

Meanwhile, in Guyana, thousands of individuals, some adorned in T-shirts proclaiming “Essequibo belongs to Guyana,” created human chains in support of their government. The president of Guyana provided reassurances, affirming that the country’s borders were secure.

Venezuela argues that the Essequibo River to the east defines the natural border, established in 1777 during Spanish rule, and claims that Britain wrongfully took Venezuelan lands in the 19th century. However, Guyana maintains that the border was established during the British colonial era and was officially confirmed in 1899 by a court of arbitration.

On Monday, the U.S. State Department expressed its backing for a peaceful resolution of the dispute, and stated that a referendum could not solve the issue.

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