The Venezuela-Guyana Dispute Explained In 3 Charts
10th December 2023
In a territorial dispute spanning nearly two centuries, tensions between Guyana and Venezuela have once again reached a boiling point.
As Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti and Nick Routley detail below, the focal point of this dispute is the vast Essequibo region which encompasses around 70% of Guyana’s territory, and is roughly equivalent to the size of Florida.
Venezuela claims historical rights dating back to the Spanish colonial period when Essequibo fell within its boundaries.
In 1840, the British government drew the Schomburgk Line expanding the territory of British Guiana (now Guyana) far beyond the occupied area and to the strategically-located mouth of the Orinoco River.