Venezuela Sets Eyes On Disputed Oil-Rich Territory In Guyana After Applying To Join BRICS Organization, Feuds With Britain

A British warship was deployed to Guyana following Venezuela's renewal of its claim on a disputed portion of Guyana.

COLUMBIA - Venezuelan President President Nicolás Maduro has announced that the Venezuelan armed forces will be carrying out defensive exercises in the East Caribbean off the country's east coast, and next to its border with Guyana as tensions between Venezuela, Guyana, and Britain heat up.

Images credit: Shaun Roster, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Enhanced by Donald Standeford)

Venezuela has also applied to join the BRICS organization which currently includes: Brazil, Russia, India, China, India, and South Africa. Over 40 other counties have expressed recent interest in joining the organization.

Announcement Follows Renewal Of Venezuela’s Claim On Oil-Rich Disputed Portion Of Guyana

The announcement followed Venezuela's renewal of its claim on an oil-rich disputed portion of Guyana, and the response of the British Royal Navy by sending the HMS Trent River-class offshore patrol vessel which had been deployed to the Caribbean Sea in early December to hunt drug smugglers.

Image credit: SurinameCentral, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 

Guyana, which sits between Venezuela and Suriname, is the only English-speaking country in South America and has strong relations with Britain after claiming its independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.

Guyana’s population stands at about 800,000 people as of 2023 and was formerly named “British Guiana” when it was under British rule, which lasted 174 years from 1796 to 1970. It is the third smallest South American country.

According to the U.S. Department of State, “The Dutch colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice, which compose what is now modern-day Guyana, were ceded to Great Britain at the Congress of Vienna and established as British Guyana in 1831”.

The United States recognized Guyanan independence on May 26th, 1966, and established an American Embassy at its capital, Georgetown, which is when diplomatic relations between America and Georgetown were first established.

Strategic Cooperation Between Venezuela And BRICS Countries Grow Stronger As Venezuela Applies To Join The Organization. Britain, Venezuela Release Statements On Guyana: