Guyana says it refuses to bow to Venezuela in dispute over territory rich in oil and minerals

Guyana said it refuses to bow to its larger neighbor Venezuela Thursday before the two countries met in the latest chapter of a bitter dispute over an oil- and mineral-rich territory claimed by both

The small South American nation of Guyana said it refuses to bow to its larger neighbor Venezuela on December 14 before the two countries met in the latest chapter of a bitter dispute over an oil- and mineral-rich territory claimed by both.

Who controls Essequibo, a vast border region located along Venezuela's border “is not up for discussion, negotiation or deliberation,” Guyana’s government said.

Also read | Needless diversion: On Venezuela’s Referendum and its claim over Essequibo  

The statement was issued shortly before Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro met with each other later at a summit on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent. They clasped hands before sitting down to talk behind closed doors as leaders around them clapped.

Maduro said ahead of the meeting that, “we will make the most of it so that our Latin America and the Caribbean remains a zone of peace."

The tension over Essequibo has raised worries about a military conflict even though many believe that unlikely.

The dispute over Essequibo escalated when Venezuela reported that its citizens had voted in a Dec. 3 referendum to claim two-thirds of their smaller neighbor.