Venezuela & Guyana’s Border Chronicles, Part 1

On this episode, The Yaad spoke to Dr Jacqueline Braveboy-Wagner on the origins of the Essequibo border dispute which sees Venezuela challenging the borders of Guyana which incorporates the region. The Essequibo region, rich in minerals and oil, is two thirds of Guyana. As such, given recent events in the past year of increase investments in Guyana’s oil fields by multinational oil and gas entities, this December saw the Nicolás Maduro led Venezuela hold a referendum in the country for them to seek sovereignty over the Essequibo area. Still, to understand this issue, we have to look at the major moments in the past century that got us here.