In an article entitled “Looming Guyana Crisis Tests Biden Foreign Policy Priorities,” published on 22 January, 2024, on the website of US Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, who is influential on issues on Latin America, the Senator expressed views on Venezuela, Guyana, the border controversy, relations between the US and Venezuela and US and Guyana.
Introducing Guyana as “Idaho-sized,” he said that it could very well be the next global flashpoint. Noting that most Americans would be unfamiliar with Guyana’s history and geography, he said that the nature of today’s supply chains means any country blessed with critical natural resources, like Guyana, can become a key player in the global economy.
Describing Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro as a “narco-dictator,” the Senator accused him of threatening to seize, by force, Guyana’s resource-rich Essequibo region, which makes up nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass. He referred to Venezuela’s “sham referendum” to claim sovereignty over the area in December and activating military personnel under the pretense of an invasion. The Senator feels that Maduro’s agreement to not use force is meaningless and that as a failed dictator, he is contemplating aggression to divert attention from his domestic problems.