Temporary Amnesia

The United States announced Thursday that it would conduct a series of joint flight operations with the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) to strengthen security collaboration between the two countries, according to the U.S. Southern Command. The announcement comes in the midst of escalating tensions between Georgetown and Caracas, following the referendum held in Venezuela on sovereignty in the Essequibo region, a territory belonging to the neighboring country and occupying two-thirds of its land. ... The maneuvers are routine in nature and seek, in addition to reinforcing cooperation between the two forces, to strengthen regional collaboration, according to the U.S. Southern Command statement. In addition to Thursday’s exercises, the United States “will continue its collaboration with the GDF in the areas of disaster preparedness, aerial and maritime security, and countering transnational criminal organizations.” The U.S., which has been conducting regular joint military exercises with the South American country for years, “will continue its commitment as Guyana’s trusted security partner and promoting regional cooperation and interoperability.” ... The maneuvers come a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, of Washington’s “unconditional support” for his sovereignty after the Venezuelan referendum. Blinken reiterated the call for a peaceful solution to the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo, a 160,000 square kilometer sparsely populated jungle that is rich in oil, timber, and minerals and which has been at the base of Guyana’s strong economic growth in recent years. ... Venezuela criticized on Wednesday Guyana’s decision to “green light” the presence of the U.S. Southern Command in the Essequibo region. According to President Nicolás Maduro, this attitude opens the “possibility of U.S. military bases” in the region, something that is “threatening” the region’s “peace.” ... In Sunday’s referendum — held after the U.N. Court urged Venezuela not to take measures that would alter Guyana’s control over the Essequibo — 10.4 million Venezuelans voted in favor of Maduro’s thesis. The consequences of that vote immediately contributed to heightened tensions. Maduro announced that his government would draft a law to annex the disputed territory, appointed a provisional authority to administer the region, mobilized the army in the border area, and took advantage of the escalation to accuse some collaborators of opposition leader María Corina Machado of conspiracy.

In Venezuela, Beijing has played an invaluable role in propping up first the government of Hugo Chávez, and now that of Nicolás Maduro. Chinese economic and technical assistance has empowered and extended the lifespan of the Maduro regime, especially since 2019 when the U.S.-led “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign made Caracas dependent on China for a financial lifeline by offloading its sanctioned crude. Between 2020 and 2021 an estimated $3.5 billion of Venezuelan crude went to China, often making stopovers in third-party countries like Malaysia for refining beforehand. ... Venezuela’s ... Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ... , Venezuelan Foreign Minister Y ... traveled to Beijing in ... Maduro has issued an ultimatum to all oil companies active in the disputed maritime territories. While CNOOC CEO Zhou Xinhua claims that the company’s “current development area is in a location without any disputes,” as passions within Venezuela rise, some have criticized China’s continued economic partnership with Guyana. For the time being, CNOOC’s presence may play a moderating role, as Maduro seeks to avoid jeopardizing his crucial relationship with Beijing. ... However, while this disconnect should put Beijing in a bind when it comes to its dealings with Georgetown, China-Guyana cooperation has in fact increased in the months following Venezuela’s sham Essequibo referendum. China has donated additional medical equipment to Guyana’s healthcare system, building on previous vaccine diplomacy efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 15, Guyanese President Mohamed Irfa ... Ali met with Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan where he reportedly expressed support for increased investment from Chinese firms. Most recently, in response to flooding across Guyana, China has donated amphibious vehicles and rafts. ... Furthermore, Beijing’s messaging appears to have been relatively successful in charting a middle course. Analysts have observed that Chinese state-owned media has sought to balance coverage between Venezuelan and Guyanese perspectives on the dispute, even referencing the ongoing International Court of Justice case. This is a notable divergence from how other autocratic governments have portrayed the crisis, with Russia in particular parroting Caracas’ rhetoric and offering its tacit support to Maduro’s annexation efforts, including launching a Caribbean military exercise involving the Russian, Cuban, and Venezuelan navies. ... China may appear to be playing both ... of the Essequ ... of a partner for either ... or Guyana to ... compete with China, ... A starting point for ... strategy should be doubling down on U.S. core competencies in the security and defense sector ... While recent moves to help modernize the GDF are encouraging, China has also made inroads in military cooperation with Guyana, having sold a Y-12 patrol aircraft and donated some $2.6 million worth of vehicles to the GDF and police ... 2017. ... fiscal year ... 21, just ... from the United States, none of them at U ... S. service academies or regional centers. Meanwhile ... strong GDF have received training in China ... Accords signed ... Venezuela and Guyana ... committing the two ... disputes regarding Essequ ... rhetoric and comp ... strategy toward Guyana ... the international community is watching