Venezuela deployed troops, as shown by satellite images, near the border with Guyana despite a de-escalation agreement amid a territorial dispute over the oil-rich region.
The situation comes despite Caracas officials saying that they would pursue a diplomatic avenue to try and resolve the long-standing disagreement. Images from Maxar that were collected in January showed an expansion of operations at Venezuela's Anacoco Island military base.
The base is located on the Cuyuni River, which borders Guyana, and the new development included several new sections of rainforest being cleared recently. The photos also showed new infrastructure and several armored vehicles within the site.
While the base's airstrip appeared to remain the same, a helicopter could be seen on top of it and access roads were improved. On the northern part of the base, a heavy river ferry could be seen.
There were also large stockpiles of what appeared to be construction supplies placed on the side of the road as well as three armored vehicles. Venezuela in January touted expanding its military presence in the region in propaganda videos that were released on its army's social media accounts, as per CNN.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Venezuelan Army said that the expansion of the base promoted by the 11th Armored Brigade together with the 6th Venezuelan Army Corps Engineers Improved the response system of the FANB.
The situation comes as the tension over the region, which amounts to roughly two-thirds of Guyanese national territory, mounted last year after a Venezuelan referendum. It was where voters assented to creating a Venezuelan state within the disputed region.
Guyana had called the decision a step towards annexation and an "existential" threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region. On Dec. 15, 2024, Venezuela reached an agreement with Guyana to avoid escalation and try to settle the dispute between the two nations without the use of force.
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Territorial Dispute Over Essequibo Region
The deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Christopher Hernandez-Roy, said that the same day that the Venezuelan foreign minister was meeting with Guyanese diplomats when the former's military conducts tank drills near the border, according to The Guardian.
Venezuela has long held its claims of the Essequibo region, but President Nicolas Maduro has ramped up his nation's claim to the disputed territory in recent months. In its report on the escalating dispute, the CSIS warned that the behavior of the Venezuelan side creates opportunities for miscalculation and loss of control over events on the ground.
In a previous social media post, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino issued a warning for companies that seek to drill oil in the disputed region. He noted that while they may have the protection of the United States and Guyana, they will receive a proportional, forceful response that adheres to the law in the maritime space that rightfully belongs to Venezuela.
The remarks were a reference to ExxonMobile, which discovered the massive crude reserves off Guyana in 2015. It announced on Tuesday that it plans to drill two exploratory wells this year off the coast of Essequibo, said France24.
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