Venezuela, Maduro wins the referendum: “New State”, high tension over Guyana’s oil

New scenarios of international tension. There is a risk of a crisis in Latin America following the referendum called by President Nicolás Maduro’s government, containing the claim of sovereignty over the territory of Esequibo, a region rich in natural resources disputed with Guyana. Venezuelans approved the Esequiba referendum in Guyana: according to the national electoral council, more than 10.5 million voters voted “yes”. Venezuelans were asked whether they were in favor of creating a state in the disputed territory, granting citizenship to current and future residents of the area and rejecting the jurisdiction of the United Nations Supreme Court to resolve the disagreement between the two countries. “It was a total success for our country, for our democracy,” President Nicolás Maduro told supporters gathered in Caracas after the results were announced, before highlighting “the very important level of people’s participation” in the referendum.

The dispute has been going on for decades, with Venezuela claiming the territory since 1966. The news is that large mineral resources have recently been discovered in the region. Maduro is in serious difficulties and that is why on the one hand he intends to guarantee support with the nationalist letter, on the other he sees the possibility of getting his hands on the “treasure” of oil discovered by Exxson Mobil, an American energy multinational, in Guyana, waters that in recent years gave impetus to the poor country located between Venezuela and Suriname.