Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro signed six decrees implying the inclusion of the western part of neighboring Guyana into the country. This is reported by the Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias.
According to the first decree, the National Commission for the Protection of Essequibo, which will be headed by the Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez, according to the second — “Guyana-Essequibo Integrated Defense Zone”. In addition, Maduro decided to form divisions of the state oil and gas company PDVSA and the metallurgical conglomerate CVG in the region.
Also, the President of Venezuela approved a new official version of the country’s map and appointed Captain Alexis Rodriguez Cabello as head of the Essequibo state.
The territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana has a long history. According to the first version of the authorities, the western bank of the Essequibo River was part of Venezuela during Spanish rule. International arbitration in 1899 assigned these territories to British Guiana, which in 1966 became an independent republic under the name Guyana.
According to the results of a referendum held in early December, 95% of Venezuelans voted to annex the mineral-rich western bank of Essequibo to the country. The opinion of residents of the region on this issue is unknown.