Guyana, Venezuela, 11bn barrels of oil – and six centuries of colonial conflict | Kenneth Mohammed

Maduro's annexation threat is only the latest move on a chessboard stretching back to the 15th century. The outcome could reverberate throughout Latin America and the Caribbean

It is a precipitous moment for Venezuela and Guyana this week as they meet to address the longstanding dispute over the Essequibo region. Leaders from both nations have said they will come to the table with the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the St Vincent and Grenadines prime minister Ralph Gonsalves, and the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.

In recent weeks, the two have seemed to be drawing closer to conflict. Venezuela has threatened to annex the densely forested Essequibo region, which constitutes two-thirds of Guyana's territory, after holding a referendum to seek support. While the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's pseudo-referendum further exposed his disregard for international law, both countries are reenacting what was a colonial conflict between the British and the Spanish.