
Venezuela held an election for an oil-rich region. The main problem is it belongs to another country
CNN
Venezuelans on Sunday for the first time elected a governor and other lawmakers for Essequibo, an oil-rich region that Venezuela has laid claim to even though it is widely recognized as being part of neighboring Guyana.
Venezuelans on Sunday for the first time elected a governor and other lawmakers for Essequibo, an oil-rich region that Venezuela has laid claim to even though it is widely recognized as being part of neighboring Guyana. Essequibo’s 125,000 inhabitants, who account for more than 15% of the English-speaking country’s population, did not take part in Sunday’s election. The vote, which was widely criticized by Guyanese officials, instead saw Venezuelans pick a new governor, six deputies to the National Assembly of Venezuela, and seven to a regional legislative assembly. It is unclear how the officials, once elected, plan on running the territory, which Guyana governs. The election is the latest provocation in a long-running territory dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. It comes more than a year after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the creation of a new state within the territory, which is roughly the size of Florida, called “Guayana Esequiba,” following a referendum that saw Venezuelan voters approving the move. Guyana had called Venezuela’s actions a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region.

White House Border czar Tom Homan will address the press in Minneapolis after being sent to take the reins on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. President Donald Trump dispatched Homan following the fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minneapolis. Follow for live updates












