The most recent armed conflict between nations in the Americas was the Cenepa War in 1995.
It was a short and contained military conflict between Ecuador and Peru, fought over control of an area of Peruvian territory near the border between the two countries.
But the Brazilian government now fears another conflict — this time between Venezuela and Guyana — and has mobilized troops to the country’s northern border.
On Sunday, Venezuela held a non-binding referendum for citizens to decide whether the country should claim sovereignty over Essequibo, a vast mineral-rich area that makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.
All Venezuelans over the age of 18 were eligible to vote. While voter turnout was low — and election results in Venezuela must be taken with a grain of salt — 95 percent of respondents voted in favor of the government claiming sovereignty over its neighbor’s territory.
Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device:
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer
This episode used music from Uppbeat and Envato. License codes: Aspire by Pryces (B6TUQLVYOWVKY02S), Reggaeton by Bransboynd (5TVJCLSGY9) , Latin Hip-Hop by Feetmusic (HRFL36PAV8), Tension by MusicService (HAT6352MVK) Criminal Investigation Tension Undescore by Andy Slatter (W8XM6RU).
In this episode:
- Lucas Berti covers international affairs — specializing in Latin American politics and markets. He has been published by Opera Mundi, Revista VIP, and The Intercept Brasil, among others.
Background reading:
- Our Latin America Weekly newsletter covered the Essequibo question in detail ahead of the Venezuela referendum, exploring the history of the border dispute.
- Though the country has since mobilized armored vehicles to sit on the border with Venezuela, Brazil initially announced a hands-off approach to the issue, saying that Venezuela’s Essequibo referendum was an “internal affair.”
- War against Guyana would mean going against the U.S., which would be an interesting move considering Venezuela has only very recently improved its relations with Washington, seeing sanctions lifted after striking a deal on elections in 2024.
- Much of Venezuela’s interest in Essequibo stems from it being oil-rich. The equatorial coast of South America has been a major attraction for Brazil too, for the same reasons.
- Nicolas Maduro’s Essequibo referendum has created some parallels with Russia’s annexation of parts of Ukraine. In September 2022, Brazil abstained on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s declared annexation of four Ukrainian provinces.
Do you have a suggestion for our next Explaining Brazil podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Search
