Request for help came after Venezuelan president announced series of measures to formalize a referendum Sunday evening

Guyana has appealed for help from the United Nations and the United States as the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, announced a series of measures intended to advance its annexation of two-thirds of the tiny South American nation’s territory.

“I have spoken to the secretary general of the United Nations and several leaders, alerting them of these dangerous developments and the desperate actions of President Maduro,” Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana, said in a television broadcast late on Tuesday, as he informed the nation of 800,000 of Maduro’s latest steps intended to create a new Venezuelan state in Guyana.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Considering how much and often we’ve historically fucked over the vast majority of South America, it’d be nice for once if we actually helped them - particularly since Guyana is the one on the defensive here and they’re literally asking for help against an invasion, and the invading party very much does not have power-parity with the US. It would go a long way towards starting to recover the reputation of the US in our neighboring continent to the south. And we’ve got a LOT of recovering to do.

      • Patapon Enjoyer@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        US: Yeah we’ll help Guyana. And by help we mean putting a military base or ten in a resource-rich region that hates US presence. You’re welcome, jack. No, this isn’t at all like the Middle East shut up

        • Pringles@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          That would probably improve the infrastructure and economy of that region, so I don’t think they would mind that much. It’s scarcely populated jungle now, so the roads they would put in alone would be helpful.

          • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            It really needs emphasized how sparse the country is. They only have 800,000 people in a country the size of Kansas. Kansas is known as barely populated farmland, and they have 3,000,000 people. They are 83rd in the world by size of country but 166th in the world by population.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        I wonder if France would step in instead? It doesn’t neighbour their Guyana, but it’s very close, so it would feel less imperialistic. Although maybe the Monroe Doctrine would preclude that…

        • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          I’m talking about trying to move past that dynamic. A country in South America specifically asks for our assistance, and we assist them with their defensive efforts as requested, and then go home when we’re done. No overseas base agreements in exchange - only what was asked. That would demonstrate a real shift in our geopolitical stance.

          I hope something like that happens. But I don’t expect it to.

          • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            There’s no chance the US sheds blood or sends materials without something in exchange. We’ll at least get some favorable trade contracts for their oil/minerals for the next century and establish half a dozen bases on their land Inde the guise of defending their freedom(resources)

            • BrowseMan@sh.itjust.works
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              11 months ago

              If I’m not mistaken Guyana already have deals with both Chinese and US (Exxon? Can’t remember) oil companies for petrol extraction.

              So the US could just defend their interest.

              But I think leaving it up to Brazil would be much smarter.

    • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Brazil has already mobilized forces on the border with Venezuela. I thought Guyana also had a mutual defense treaty with the US, but I’m not finding it right now. They aren’t part of the Rio Pact, but Venezuela is.

        • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          They are in the Rio pact, which has most South American countries including Venezuela, but not Guyana.

          • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Well, that’s a little Ironic

            The lesson of this chapter of history is probably going to be called

            “Ok look WWI was bad but that doesn’t mean you forego defensive alliances entirely you scared turtles!”

    • protist@mander.xyz
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      11 months ago

      Seems Brazil has already started to stage military equipment near the border

    • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      Lula and Maduro used to be pretty chummy I think, but Brazil seems to not be tolerating this little excursion.

      • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Except for one tiny piece of border, Venezuela has to cross Brazil’s land to get to Guyana. Brazil isn’t just going to watch the army of an expansion minded nation walk across their land on a conquest mission. It makes them look ridiculously weak if they just let their neighbors march through their sovereign land

  • jantin@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Ohhh elections, so the plan is to get bogged down in a low-intensity border conflict and then say “oh no, we can’t do the voting in the middle of a war!”

  • Additional_Prune@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    “Maduro’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric over Essequibo is seen by analysts as an attempt to distract from a series of overlapping crises at home” I guess “blame the gays” didn’t poll as well as “invade a neighbor.”

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    11 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Ali’s comments came after Maduro announced a series of measures to formalise a referendum on Sunday evening in which voters overwhelmingly backed plans to recognise the 160,000km2 oil-rich swath of Guyanese jungle as its own.

    In videos posted on social media Maduro presented a revised national map showing an enlarged Venezuela which had swallowed up the region of Essequibo, demanding it be rapidly circulated in schools and universities in an attempt to enforce the results of Sunday’s referendum.

    “I have immediately ordered for it to be published and taken to all schools, colleges, community councils, public establishments, universities and in all homes in the country, the new map of Venezuela with our Guayana-Esequiba.

    Maduro’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric over Essequibo is seen by analysts as an attempt to distract from a series of overlapping crises at home and drum up support ahead of presidential elections expected for 2024 but the escalation of regional tensions on Tuesday night added to concerns that the dictator would not stop short of military action.

    On Wednesday, Venezuela’s attorney general issued an arrest warrant for 10 opposition leaders including Juan Guaidó, Julio Borges and Leopoldo López.

    The latest moves to regain political dominance ahead of next year’s elections could be a reaction to the poor turnout for Sunday’s referendum, said Phil Gunson, analyst at International Crisis Group.


    The original article contains 697 words, the summary contains 221 words. Saved 68%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!