Venezuela To Vote On Invading Its Neighbour Guyana

 

Miami Herald: Should Venezuela invade its oil-rich neighbor? Maduro will put it to a vote Sunday 

Venezuelans going to the polls Sunday will be asked to answer an unusually provocative question: Should their government be given a blank check to invade neighboring Guyana, and wrest away three-quarters of its oil-rich territory? 

The government of Nicolás Maduro is putting the query before voters, part of a century-old territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana that is raising tensions in the region and threatening to escalate into a shooting war. 

The question will be on the ballot in a five-part referendum that, among other things, would grant Maduro special powers to invade Guyana and create a new Venezuelan state encompassing 74% of English-speaking Guyana’s current landmass. 

The new area would be called Guayana Esequiba. Some experts see the whole thing as a political ploy, though many Guyanese see the threat as real and fear, among other things, the loss of their citizenship. 

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Update #1: World Court orders Venezuela to refrain from action in border dispute with Guyana (Reuters) 

Update #2: ‘Despotic’ Maduro accused of risking Venezuela-Guyana conflict over oil-rich region (The Guardian)  

WNU Editor: Brazil is getting involved .... Brazil army 'intensifies' border operations as Venezuela-Guyana territory dispute heats up (France 24).