The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana, Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali, reached an agreement in December to denounce the use of force in the countries' dispute over the Essequibo, an oil-rich region controlled by Guyana that Venezuela claims as its own. They also met in late January and tensions seemed to drop after a peak reached in December, following a controversial referendum where the Venezuelan population approved the creation of a province in the Essequibo.
However, recent actions by the Maduro government show it has increased its military presence in the area, moving light tanks, missile-equipped patrol boats and armored carriers to the border. Moreover, it vowed a "forceful response" if oil drilling begins in contested waters.
