Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Who Owns Guyana’s Oil? Venezuela’s Fight Over a $100 Billion Prize
Published 6 days, 6 hours ago
Description
Beneath the waters off Guyana lies one of the world’s most significant recent oil discoveries, but a centuries-old territorial dispute threatens to complicate the country’s economic future. Venezuela claims sovereignty over the oil-rich Essequibo region, while Guyana maintains that an international boundary established in 1899 settled the matter. This episode examines the historical origins of the dispute, the role of ExxonMobil, the International Court of Justice, and the legal question of who controls natural resources when neighboring countries disagree over their borders.