:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/4MIXNBSOQN2JZOO2J2HT7HBEJI.jpg "The Brazilian Army intensified its military operations on the border with Venezuela and Guyana")
Reinforcement of Brazilian Troops Ordered on Border with Venezuela and Guyana
The Brazilian Ministry of Defense has ordered the reinforcement of troops in the state of Roraima, which borders Venezuela and the Guyanese region of Essequibo. The territory of Essequibo, which is claimed by Caracas, has been the subject of a territorial dispute for more than a century.
The Brazilian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that operations on the country’s northern border have intensified amid growing tension between Venezuela and Guyana. The tension has risen as Venezuela prepares to hold a referendum on Sunday to determine the ownership of the oil-rich Essequibo region, which makes up more than two-thirds of neighboring Guyana.
Brazilian Defense Minister, José Múcio, has been closely following the situation and has confirmed an increased military presence on the northern border. The highest UN court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has ordered Venezuela to refrain from any action that could “modify the situation that currently prevails in the disputed territory.”
Guyana had asked the ICJ to suspend the referendum, claiming that it poses an existential threat to the country. The small nation has administered Essequibo for more than a century, but the territory has been the subject of disputes with Venezuela for decades. Controversy grew after oil was discovered in Essequibo in 2015.
The border dispute has created diplomatic discomfort for Brazil, which borders both countries. The Brazilian government has expressed full confidence that the territorial differences between Venezuela and Guyana will be solved through dialogue and peacefully. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to meet with his counterpart from Guyana, Irfaan Ali, to discuss the matter.
At a recent meeting of South American foreign and defense ministers and authorities in Brasilia, Guyana and Venezuela were urged to resolve the bilateral tension through dialogue. The situation remains tense as the referendum in Venezuela looms, but international efforts are being made to promote peaceful dialogue and resolution of the dispute.