OAS and United States Stepping into Venezuela’s Border Dispute with Guyana

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A longstanding, high-stakes border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela has gotten even testier, with the United States and the Organization of American States stepping into the fray.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro is condemning what he calls the illegal detention of two Guyanese-registered fishing vessels and their crew by “the Venezuelan dictatorship” in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone.

“The General Secretariat demands that the Guyanese citizens are released promptly and safely to Guyanese authorities, as well as the two detained vessels,” he said in a written statement.

The Biden administration echoed the Washington-based regional bloc’s remarks in a tweet Wednesday evening.

“The U.S. supports a peaceful resolution of the maritime boundary controversy between Venezuela and Guyana and condemns Maduro’s intimidation through the seizure of fishing vessels and detention of crew,” wrote Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Earlier this month, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro issued a presidential decree establishing a new so-called “Atlantic facade” that reinforced his nation’s centuries-old claim to part of Guyana’s maritime waters in what’s known as the Essequibo region.

Located west of the Essequibo River, the disputed territory consists of 61,600 square miles and has long been claimed by both nations. It is one of the few issues that divided Venezuelans agree on, with the country’s opposition at times being even more militant about Venezuela’s rights over the area. At stake is a territory rich in gold and other minerals as well as valuable oil fields that would be a boon to either distressed nation.

Guyana’s Ambassador Riyad Insanally told the OAS Permanent Council Wednesday that Venezuela’s latest actions “not only pose a threat to our peace and security, but the peace and security of our entire region.” His government, he said, was disturbed by Maduro’s latest attempt at a show of force. “Guyana rejects entirely the decree issued by Mr. Maduro,” Insanally said.

The matter is currently before the International Court of Justice, which ruled late last year that it has jurisdiction over the boundary dispute first decided by an arbitration court in 1899. The court at the time, and under pressure from the United States, awarded the area to then-British Guiana.

Shouldering the Atlantic on the north coast of South America, Guyana is bordered by Venezuela to the west, Suriname to the east and Brazil to the south and southwest.

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