Brazilian army heightens border presence amid potential Venezuela-Guyana oil conflict

As per a statement from the Brazilian army, among those stationed near the Venezuelan-Guyanese border are 14 Guaicurus multi-purpose armoured vehicles. These vehicles have remotely controlled weapon systems, thermal optics and command and control modules.

"Further, the convoy despatched to the border area also encompasses eight Guarani wheeled armoured transporters, six EE-9 Cascavel wheeled reconnaissance vehicles, and other vehicles," the Brazilian army command made known.

The military authorities detailed that as part of the strengthening of troops located in the Brazilian state of Roraima, proximate to the Venezuelan-Guyanese border, announced since January this year, more soldiers have been sent, augmenting their total there by 10 per cent to a tally of 600 personnel.

Though in January this year, Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities concurred on proceeding with peaceful dialogue concerning the contested area, the Brazilian army command insists that the chances of an armed conflict in Essequibo are high.

On December 4 of the previous year, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared that the authorities in Caracas accepted the referendum conducted the day before, including Essequibo into Venezuela as binding. He added that his country disapproves of the judgement made by international judges in 1899, who laid down the borders when Guyana was still a British colony.

Venezuela's interest in the Essequibo region, making up two-thirds of Guyana's land, spiked in 2015 when substantial oil and natural gas reserves were discovered.

Just two days post-referendum, Maduro summoned state mining corporations to initiate extracting natural resources in Essequibo. He also made public a sequence of measures targeting Venezuela's acquisition of the area, incorporating the issuance of Venezuelan identification documents to the local populace.

In retaliation to the decisions made by the regime in Caracas, Guyanese authorities publicised the beginning of military exercises in the vicinity of the border with Venezuela.