Venezuela Threatens to Annex Guyana Territory Amid Oil Dispute

As Maduro's regime steps up historic claims following an oil discovery, international tensions rise with U.S. and Brazil taking defensive measures.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has threatened to annex nearly three-quarters of the territory of Guyana, following a referendum where 95 percent of Venezuelan voters approved the idea.
The disputed region, known as El Esequibo, is rich in oil and has been a point of contention between the two nations for centuries.
Maduro's move is partly guided by his domestic issues, as elections loom next year and the Venezuelan opposition is rallying around a strong, newly minted opposition leader.
Since ExxonMobil discovered massive offshore oil deposits in Guyana’s territorial waters in 2015, Maduro’s regime has stepped up Venezuela’s historic claims.
The United States has announced joint military flight drills with its Guyanese counterparts, and Brazilian troops have massed along the border with Venezuela in a bid to keep the peace.