We Need to Talk About Venezuela and Guyana

If you’re relatively new to the issues related to Kremlin propaganda and how it’s affecting other countries (including the United States), I recommend reading some background posts I wrote that explains things in more detail along with links to other sites where you can read more to educate yourself.

Yes, I know you're probably wondering why I'm bringing up these two South American countries when this blog is supposed to be focused on Kremlin propaganda regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's already bad enough getting distracted by the Israel-Hamas war. But, like those other conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, this potential invasion also involves Russia.

Americans of a certain age will remember Guyana as the country where Jim Jones relocated his People's Temple religious cult from San Francisco in order to set up some kind of a communal utopia. That utopia soon turned into a nightmare when Congressman Leo Ryan led a delegation to visit Jonestown only for him and some of his delegation were shot to death on Jones’ orders. Jones then convinced his own members to consume a concoction of grape flavored drink mixed with cyanide and other poisons. He even got members to force the drink down the throats of very young children. Over 900 members, including Jones, died in this mass murder/suicide and it is where the slang phrase for blind obedience to a person or a cause “drinking the Kool-Aid” originated from. (According to the Wikipedia, the People's Temple cult members actually drank the grape-flavored drink made from one of Kool-Aid's competitors, Flavor Aid.) That was then, this is now.

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is another person who's aligned with Russia and Vladimir Putin. The basic gist of this latest crisis is this: Venezuela is located next to Guyana. There is a patch of land between the two countries known as Guayana Esequiba. Both nations have long claimed that territory for its very own. In 1899 an international tribunal had declared Guayana Esequiba to be part of Guyana. In 1966 Venezuela had signed the Geneva Agreement, which basically reiterated that Guayana Esequiba is part of Guyana. When Nicolas Maduro first came to power he considered the dispute to be finished.

All that changed when oil deposits were discovered in Guayana Esequiba and Maduro now wants that territory to become part of Venezuela. Guyana doesn’t want to give the territory up because Guyana would lose 2/3 of its country, as shown on the map below.

This weekend Venezuela held an election where the people get to vote on whether Venezuela should annex Guayana Esequiba just like Russia annexed Crimea and the Donbass region from Ukraine.

Why would this situation in South America benefit Vladimir Putin? Here are some basic facts: Guyana, which is the only country in South America where English is the official language, is a member of the British Commonwealth. If Venezuela invades Guyana, the UK could get distracted from helping Ukraine to help Guyana. If this new potential war happens, it will occur in the same Western Hemisphere where the US is located and it could get further distracted from helping Ukraine in order to help Guyana.

On top of it, in recent years there have been Venezuelans who have been fleeing their country due to both Maduro's authoritarian rule and an economic crisis caused by mismanagement. Many of them have fled north to Mexico and the United States. A new war would create a new wave of Venezuelan refugees, which would bring chaos since it would further distract the US from helping Ukraine.

It's no coincidence that this new crisis is happening at the same time as what's going on in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. Vladimir Putin is getting help from his allies so he can finish conquering Ukraine. But you don't have to take my word for it. Other people are saying the same on Twitter/X.

I wish I can be proven wrong and Nicolas Maduro decides against launching a war against Guyana. But I fear that this will become a reality soon and we need to mentally prepare for this. If and when this war starts, you can be sure that Kremlin propagandists like Jackson Hinkle will suddenly pivot to Venezuela and make a bunch of pro-Maduro posts while cheering on the invasion.

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