Roraima received on Tuesday, 2nd of January, 2024, 16 armored vehicles from the Brazilian Army to reinforce security on the border between Brazil and Venezuela. The shipment occurs due to tension between Venezuela and Guyana through the Essequibo region (story below).
The vehicles traveled 6 thousand kilometers from the city of Cascavel, in Paraná, to Boa Vista, capital of Roraima. The trip began on December 6th and the vehicles traveled through river and land routes to reach the state.
In December, 2023, the Ministry of Defense reported that it had deployed armored vehicles to reinforce security in Pacaraima, a city that borders Venezuela. At the time, the Minister of Defense, José Múcio, said that the operation was already planned to combat mining in the region, but that the vehicles could help with security in the region.
The minister stated that Brazil will not allow the use of Brazilian territory for Venezuela to invade Guyana and even assessed Maduro’s move to annex part of Guyana’s territory as a political maneuver due to the proximity of elections in the neighboring country.
“They will only reach Guyana by passing, if at all, through Brazilian territory. And we will not allow it under any circumstances”, said Múcio.
The vehicles are the Guaicuru model, light on wheels (VBMT-LSR) 4X4 LMV-BR, named in honor of the indigenous people of the Brazilian Center-West. The set of vehicles must be part of the 18th Mechanized Cavalry Regiment, a new unit set up in response to the current “geopolitical situation on the northern border,” according to the Army.
“The action is part of the Army’s Strategic Plan and aims to strengthen the operational and logistical readiness of the Amazon Military Command. This initiative reaffirms the Brazilian Army’s commitment to ensuring a strong and efficient presence in the Amazon Region,” he said.
In December 2023, Julia Duailibi reported that the Brazilian Army would send 28 armored vehicles to the border region with Venezuela following an escalation of tension related to the dispute between Venezuela. The list of vehicles includes 16 guaicurus, six guarani and six rattlesnake.
Dispute over Essequibo
In November last year, the Brazil’s Ministry of Defense announced that it would intensify security in the border region, in Roraima, due to the escalation of the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region.
The subject returned for discussion by countries after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a referendum on the annexation of Essequibo, a region larger than England and the state of Ceará that corresponds to 70% of Guyanese territory.
In mid-December, 2023, President Ali and dictator Nicolas Maduro engaged in CARICOM brokered peace talks in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where they both signed the Argyle Agreement prohibiting use of force in the dispute of the Essequibo. The two heads of state are expected to meet again in Brazil in about two months in furtherance to the peace talks.
Military experts have said that the risk of a Venezuelan invasion is low due to many factors including Venezuela’s inability to sustain an invasion and the overwhelming international support for Guyana.
