Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC Monitoring

Dec 2, 2023 | bbc.co.uk | Rachelle Krygier |Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC Monitoring |Vanessa Buschschlüter

Venezuelans are voting in a referendum on Sunday which has ratcheted up the tension between the South American country and its neighbour, Guyana. The Venezuelan government has called the referendum to measure popular support for its historical claim to a contested oil-rich swathe of jungle currently administered by Guyana. The 159,500-sq-km (61,600-square-mile) region is known as Essequibo and makes up two thirds of the total of the land currently controlled by Guyana.