Venezuelan president signs decrees for annexation of Guyana territory
Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Getty Images)
Venezuelan President Maduro has signed six decrees outlining the purported annexation of Essequibo. The plans involve designating the region as the 24th state of Venezuela, states Ultimas Noticias.
The initial decree establishes the National Commission for the Protection of Essequibo, led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. A second decree establishes the Guyana-Essequibo Integrated Defense Zone.
Maduro also approved the creation of divisions for the state oil and gas company PDVSA and the metallurgical conglomerate CVG in the region.
Furthermore, Maduro endorsed a "new" map of Venezuela, incorporating Essequibo, with Captain Alexis Rodríguez Cabello appointed as the regional head.
What preceded
Maduro initiated the annexation process of Essequibo, a region in neighboring Guyana with oil and gas discoveries. It constitutes two-thirds of Guyana's territory.
The Venezuelan president proposed a countrywide referendum on the matter, potentially leading to war between Venezuela and Guyana.
Ruslan Spirin, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in Latin America, highlighted that a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana could divert attention from Russian aggression.
Read more about the conflict between Venezuela and Guyana and whether it can harm Ukraine is in this material.
