The Latest Breaking News from Caracas

Caracas has long claimed the region of Essequibo -- which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana's territory -- but has amped up its rhetoric since its neighbor began issuing licenses for oil companies to operate there.

Venezuela is due for elections in 2024. Then last October, the government agreed with the opposition to hold elections in the second half of 2024 with international observers present.

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Pantera Entertainment and its ticketing partner, Global Boletos Venezuela, operated from a military jail in Caracas, authorities say

The 2,300-metre (7,550-foot) mountain -- known as a tepui -- looms over the tiny village of Arau, whose residents reject a claim from Caracas that their land belongs to Venezuela, which has sparked fears of a potential conflict.

Recently discovered oil is transforming Guyana's fortunes. But neighbouring Venezuela has suddenly rekindled old claims of territorial ownership. Official Venezuelan maps now incorporate the disputed Essequibo region that covers two-thirds of Guyana, and Venezuelan oil companies have been ordered to start extraction. In a December 3 non-binding referendum, Venezuelan voters…

The United States, through National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, urged the sides to find a diplomatic solution to the territorial dispute, saying "we don't want to see this come to blows."

The long-running dispute over Essequibo, which comprises some two-thirds of Guyanese territory, has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered oil there in 2015.

Guyana and Venezuela agreed Wednesday to "keep the communication channels open" in a fast-worsening feud over a disputed, oil-rich region as Brazil reinforced troops on its northern border with the neighbors.