NGOPI TEKNO EN VER – In response to escalating tensions over Venezuela’s territorial claim to Guyana’s Esequibo region, a convoy of military trucks and armored vehicles has been dispatched to Brazil’s northern border. The move aims to bolster the Brazilian army’s presence in the area and ensure national sovereignty amid the ongoing border dispute.
On Friday, more than two dozen armored cars, including six Cascavel, eight Guarani, and 14 Guaicuru vehicles, arrived in Manaus, with some departing for Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state. The local garrison in Boa Vista is set to increase to 600 soldiers, according to an army statement. The reinforcement includes a variety of armored vehicles, such as the Cascavel, a six-wheeled Brazilian armored car equipped with a 37-mm cannon, the Guarani, a 6×6 personnel carrier, and the Guaicuru, a four-wheel-drive multitask light armored car. The heavier armored cars were transported on flatbed trailer trucks.
General Tomas Paiva, Army Commander, stated that the Boa Vista garrison would be transformed into a regiment with a tripled number of equipment and personnel. Some forces will remain in the city, while others will be deployed to Pacaraima on the border with Venezuela. Emphasizing the army’s role in guaranteeing national sovereignty, he expressed confidence in a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means.
The border conflict revolves around a 160,000-square-kilometer region of Guyana, more than twice the size of Ireland, predominantly covered by thick jungle. Venezuela has resurrected its longstanding claim to Esequibo, triggered by the discovery of substantial offshore oil and gas deposits in recent years.
Venezuela and Guyana, in December, agreed not to use force or escalate tension in the dispute during a meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines. A diplomatic meeting mediated by Brazil last week witnessed Venezuela pledging to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.
However, Brazil, concerned about Venezuela potentially using its territory in Roraima to invade Esequibo, clarified its stance. Brazil insisted that it would not permit such use, given the absence of an alternative land route through the jungle. A report from the Brazilian military Joint Chiefs of Staff, seen by Reuters, indicated that Venezuela lacks the military capability for a successful invasion of Esequibo due to limited logistical capacity.
The report, spanning seven pages, outlined Brazil’s contingency plan to prevent any Venezuelan military incursion against Guyana from passing through Brazilian territory. Despite these measures, the document concluded that a clash between Brazil’s two neighbors was improbable, as a peaceful solution was emerging.
In the wake of these developments, the reinforcement of the northern border stands as a strategic move by Brazil to assert its commitment to national security and territorial integrity while diplomatically engaging in the resolution of the border dispute. The deployment of additional troops and armored vehicles reflects the seriousness with which Brazil views the situation, underscoring the importance of a peaceful resolution to maintain regional stability.
