Venezuela Orders “Immediate” Start of Oil Exploration in Disputed Territory

Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, has ordered the immediate start of exploration and exploitation of oil reserves in the Essequibo region—the disputed territory that Venezuelans voted to annex. Per an AP report, President Maduro said that he is “to grant operating licenses for the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas and mines in the entire area of our Essequibo.”  He also issued an order for the creation of local subsidiaries of the state oil and mining companies, PDVSA and Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana.…