Last month, Guyana's armed forces reported an attack by Venezuelan criminal groups attempting to cross the border and establish operations in the country's Essequibo region — a vast, mineral-rich territory known particularly for its gold deposits that the Nicolás Maduro regime declared part of Venezuela by law in 2024 following a national referendum.
Tensions in the region are escalating as Venezuelan criminal groups known as "sindicatos" attempt to entrench themselves in Guyana. These groups, which control illegal mining in Venezuela's Bolívar state, have reportedly gained power along the border with the support of Maduro's government.
