Venezuela – World map

Echoes of the past: the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana and the indelible mark of history

6Dec

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Guiana, Venezuela

Echoes of the past: the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana and the indelible mark of history

The recent escalation of tensions between Venezuela and Guyana around the Essequibo region reignites a territorial dispute that, despite centuries of existence, continues to be a critical element in relations between these two South American countries. This article seeks to analyze the importance of considering historical issues in understanding and resolving this conflict, offering a comprehensive view on the present and future implications of this impasse. The origin of this conflict dates back to the colonial period, when borders were often determined by the reach of European empires, in this case, the British and the Spanish. The Essequibo region, rich in natural resources, has become the subject of dispute since colonial boundaries were imprecisely defined. A Venezuela...

The need to integrate Brazil into regional agendas: the case of CELAC

11Aug

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

The need to integrate Brazil into regional agendas: the case of CELAC

In 1983 Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela created a forum to mediate armed conflicts in Central America. At the time, the need for them to create forums for direct dialogue became clear., without the intermediation of other countries, if they really wanted to overcome the conflicts. It became known as the Contadora Group. (name of the island of Panama on which the meeting took place). In 1985 Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay joined the group and, created the Permanent Mechanism for Political Consultation and Conciliation in Latin America and the Caribbean, also known as the Rio Group. The Rio Group is not an international organization per se, insofar as it does not have a secretariat responsible for implementing and monitoring the proposals. However, it is an important space for concertation ...

The energy crisis and the rapprochement between Biden and Maduro

23Jun

By Center for European Studies and BusinessNo Comments

Americas, U.S, Venezuela

The energy crisis and the rapprochement between Biden and Maduro

Article written by João Paulo Costa The possibility of rapprochement between two great enemies of the Americas, the United States and Venezuela, occurs as a consequence of a military dispute distant from Latin Americans, the current war between Russia and Ukraine. When deploying Russian troops to Ukrainian territory, Vladimir Putin used the allegation of a “genocide” in the eastern region committed by “neo-Nazi” troops. Para Volodymyr Zelensky, which received support from other international actors, including the United States, Russian interests go beyond this. By opting for military invasion, Putin sends a message to the adversary: Ukraine's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, who had been making great strides in Zelensky's administration, will not be tolerated. For the States...

Against whom international sanctions are applied?

4Aug

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Venezuela

Against whom international sanctions are applied?

Photo by Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Trade sanctions are a foreign policy instrument used by some countries and have severe impacts. When we read the news that talk about it, it usually talks about trade sanctions against Venezuela, or against Iran or any other country that is currently under this type of action. The point is that the impact is on the country, with special focus on your government, but actually it's about the population. The idea is for the population to suffer the impacts of the suffocation of the country's economy and start to question their government, what should lead to the choice of another president (in democratic countries) or an institutional rupture for the establishment of another government (in dictatorial countries). One of the issues behind this is the humanitarian and societal cost..

The humanitarian cost of international sanctions: the Venezuelan case

13Jul

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, U.S, Venezuela

The humanitarian cost of international sanctions: the Venezuelan case

Venezuelan protesters against the US government. Photo REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini The recent demonstrations in Cuba reopen an important discussion in international relations: the use of trade sanctions as a form of foreign policy. the president of the USA, Joe Biden, announced its support for the Cuban people, but did not give indications of changing the current embargo policy. Despite the history and symbolism of Cuba in the context of the Cold War, we must remember that this is a more common policy., as seen in the case of Venezuela. The duration of sanctions and embargoes applied to Cuba and Venezuela are clear signs of their failure as an action that seeks to change the behavior of another government. Like this, in addition to not having an effective political result, implies a cost...

The border issue between Venezuela and Guyana

1Feb

By Paulo Roberto da Silva Gomes FilhoNo Comments

Americas, U.S, Guiana, Venezuela

The border issue between Venezuela and Guyana

Map with the border between Venzuela and Guyana, with projection of the maritime area. Tension on the border between Venezuela and Guyana made headlines last weekend, due to apprehension, by the Venezuelan Navy, of the Guyanese fishing vessels "Nady Nayera" and "Sea Wolf". The chancelleries of the two countries exchanged protest notes. Guyana accuses Venezuela of having committed an “act of aggression” by seizing ships in Guyanese waters. Venezuelans responded that the seizure was legitimate, because it was carried out in waters under the jurisdiction of your country. The dispute predates the independence of the two countries. Since the beginning of the century 19, Spanish and British already disputed the positioning of the border between their colonies in northern South America. In 1835, with Venezuela ...

The ineffectiveness of international sanctions

26Oct

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Cuba, U.S, Venezuela

The ineffectiveness of international sanctions

International sanctions are an instrument of extreme foreign policy, generally adopted when diplomatic channels do not work as expected. Trade sanctions aim to isolate the country from international trade flows, leading to a stranglehold on its economy. Thereby, it is expected that the local population will feel the limitations and start to pressure their government to change the situation that led to international sanction. Logically it seems to be a good policy, but it is not. Even if the sanction is directed at a particular government, in practice its main impacts are on the population, people who have few, when any, condition to influence government behavior. Limiting access to international goods, as well as the impact ...

Plan Colombia Grows and its impact on Venezuela

5Oct

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Colombia, U.S, Venezuela

Plan Colombia Grows and its impact on Venezuela

Photo: Instagram / Iván Duque In August (2020) the launch of the Colombia Crece Plan was announced, result of military cooperation between the governments of Colombia and the United States and focused on combating drug trafficking. It can be said that it is a second phase of Plan Colombia, responsible for the injection of USD 7 billion in Colombia between 2000 e 2016. The agreement comes at a time when Colombia is experiencing alarming levels of violence. Have already been registered in the country, only in 2020, 46 massacres and over a thousand murdered social leaders. Until recently, the FARC dominated the interior of the country and, with peace agreements, it would be up to the Colombian State to "reoccupy" that space. However, the Colombian state is clearly weak in the interior, with a clear absence of public policies that ...

26Feb

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Brazil, China, U.S, India, Japan, Russia, Venezuela

The beginning of the uncertain world

Since the end of World War II, the world has been building a system with a multilateral profile. Starting with the Bretton Woods Institutions (International Monetary Fund - IMF; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - BIRD; and International Trade Organization - OIC, soon replaced by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - GATT), what we saw was the creation of several international organizations and treaties capable of guiding the behavior of international actors in the most diverse areas. The peak of this movement occurred in the 1990, period in which there was a series of international conferences and treaties. Inaugurated by ECO-92, cases were treated like women, home, human rights. These conferences showed the world that cooperation could i ...

Venezuela: the next Iraq in Latin America?

12Feb

By Rodrigo CintraNo Comments

Americas, Brazil, U.S, Venezuela

Venezuela: the next Iraq in Latin America?

Analyzing the Venezuelan crisis today is difficult because we ended up in political-ideological discussions. More than understanding what is happening in the country, inevitably the discussions revolve around the support or criticism of the president (?) Nicolas Maduro. But the question is deeper and a definitive answer does not come easy. It is certain that the Brazilian media, as well as the government of Brazil, clearly advocate Maduro's immediate departure to assume, in your place, or opponent Juan Guaidó. Apparently the question would be simple: Mature sai, Guaidó assumes power, restores order in Venezuela and everything goes back to normal. However, when we look at other nearby examples, we see that it is much more complicated than this. Think of Iraq when President Bush decided to invade. THE ...