Request for help came after Venezuelan president announced series of measures to formalize a referendum Sunday evening
Guyana has appealed for help from the United Nations and the United States as the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, announced a series of measures intended to advance its annexation of two-thirds of the tiny South American nation’s territory.
“I have spoken to the secretary general of the United Nations and several leaders, alerting them of these dangerous developments and the desperate actions of President Maduro,” Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana, said in a television broadcast late on Tuesday, as he informed the nation of 800,000 of Maduro’s latest steps intended to create a new Venezuelan state in Guyana.
Sounds like a South America problem. Step up Brazil.
Considering how much and often we’ve historically fucked over the vast majority of South America, it’d be nice for once if we actually helped them - particularly since Guyana is the one on the defensive here and they’re literally asking for help against an invasion, and the invading party very much does not have power-parity with the US. It would go a long way towards starting to recover the reputation of the US in our neighboring continent to the south. And we’ve got a LOT of recovering to do.
Well kissenger is dead so may as well start now
And may I just say: Thank fuck for that. Good goddamn riddance. He was a cancer to humanity.
US: Yeah we’ll help Guyana. And by help we mean putting a military base or ten in a resource-rich region that hates US presence. You’re welcome, jack. No, this isn’t at all like the Middle East shut up
That would probably improve the infrastructure and economy of that region, so I don’t think they would mind that much. It’s scarcely populated jungle now, so the roads they would put in alone would be helpful.
It really needs emphasized how sparse the country is. They only have 800,000 people in a country the size of Kansas. Kansas is known as barely populated farmland, and they have 3,000,000 people. They are 83rd in the world by size of country but 166th in the world by population.
I wonder if France would step in instead? It doesn’t neighbour their Guyana, but it’s very close, so it would feel less imperialistic. Although maybe the Monroe Doctrine would preclude that…
I’m talking about trying to move past that dynamic. A country in South America specifically asks for our assistance, and we assist them with their defensive efforts as requested, and then go home when we’re done. No overseas base agreements in exchange - only what was asked. That would demonstrate a real shift in our geopolitical stance.
I hope something like that happens. But I don’t expect it to.
There’s no chance the US sheds blood or sends materials without something in exchange. We’ll at least get some favorable trade contracts for their oil/minerals for the next century and establish half a dozen bases on their land Inde the guise of defending their freedom(resources)
If I’m not mistaken Guyana already have deals with both Chinese and US (Exxon? Can’t remember) oil companies for petrol extraction.
So the US could just defend their interest.
But I think leaving it up to Brazil would be much smarter.
Brazil has already mobilized forces on the border with Venezuela. I thought Guyana also had a mutual defense treaty with the US, but I’m not finding it right now. They aren’t part of the Rio Pact, but Venezuela is.
IIRC the defense pact the US has in the region is with Panama, because the Canal
They are in the Rio pact, which has most South American countries including Venezuela, but not Guyana.
Well, that’s a little Ironic
The lesson of this chapter of history is probably going to be called
“Ok look WWI was bad but that doesn’t mean you forego defensive alliances entirely you scared turtles!”
Seems Brazil has already started to stage military equipment near the border
Which border? The Venezuela/Guyana one or is the a Venezuela/Brazil one?
There’s no infrastructure connecting Venezuela and Guyana, they would have to go through Brazil.
Brazil’s borders with both Venezuela and Guyana, meaning they’d be able to move quickly if it becomes necessary
Lula and Maduro used to be pretty chummy I think, but Brazil seems to not be tolerating this little excursion.
Brazil needs to get all up into that business.
Except for one tiny piece of border, Venezuela has to cross Brazil’s land to get to Guyana. Brazil isn’t just going to watch the army of an expansion minded nation walk across their land on a conquest mission. It makes them look ridiculously weak if they just let their neighbors march through their sovereign land