The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 29th, 2023: Venezuela Saber Rattles & A PDB New Year's Message

Episode Date: December 29, 2023

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     We'll discuss the latest in the ongoing territorial dispute in South America, where Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is deploying thousands of troops near the border of Guyana for defensive exercises in response to an approaching British warship. A New Year's message from Mike Baker. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.     Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Let's get briefed. First up, we return to the territorial dispute in South America, where Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro is deploying thousands of troops near the border of Guyana for defensive exercises in response to an approaching British warship. And finally, we wrap up this last brief of 2023 with a quick look back. before we march headlong into 2024. But first, our afternoon spotlight. We find ourselves in South America, where tensions have been high ever since Venezuela

voted to annex a large portion of neighboring Guyana in the beginning of December. Hostilities between the nations cooled somewhat following a face-to-face meeting between the two countries' leaders on December 14th, where they pledged to keep the dispute peaceful. But now the situation is heating back up as Venezuela deployed nearly 6,000 military personnel on Thursday for defensive exercises in response to an approaching British warship.

British officials said Sunday that they would be sending the patrol vessel the HMS Trent to Guyana in a show of diplomatic support for their South American ally and former colony. Venezuelan President Maduro didn't take kindly to that move, which he called a quote, provocation and threat in remarks yesterday. In a nationally televised speech flanked by a dozen military commanders, because, I mean, can you even call yourself a dictator if you're not flanked by a dozen military commanders? Maduro said, quote, we believe in diplomacy, in dialogue, in peace, but no one should threaten Venezuela and no one should mess with Venezuela.

We are men of peace, he said. We are a people of peace, but we are warriors and, this threat is unacceptable for any sovereign country, end quote. Of course, keep in mind that this conflict started because the peace and diplomacy-loving Maduro decided to make a land grab for two-thirds of neighboring Guiana's entire territory. The Venezuela dictator had particularly harsh words for Britain, saying, quote, the threat of the decadent, rotten ex-empirate of the United Kingdom is unacceptable, end quote. Hmm. The nearly 6,000 troops deployed by Maduro, which includes members of Venezuela's air and naval forces will reportedly be conducting joint operations near the

border with Guyana off of Venezuela's eastern coast. For his part, Guyan and President Irfan Ali attempted to diffuse tensions in the statement released Thursday, saying, quote, neither Venezuela nor any other state has anything to fear from activities within Guyana's sovereign territory or waters. Now, the British warship will reportedly stay near Guiana for less than a week as it participates in open-sea defense exercises with them. Ali added, quote, we harbor no ambitions or intentions to covet what does not belong to us. We are fully committed to peaceful relations with our neighbors and all countries in our region. He ended the statement by sending his, quote, best wishes to the people of Venezuela, our neighbors.

As a reminder, on December 3rd, Venezuela passed a referendum to annex the Eskibo region of Guiana. which contains rich deposits of oil and minerals. Venezuela and President Maduro then escalated the situation on December 5th when he ordered his country's state-owned companies to start exploring and exploiting the region. That doesn't sound very diplomatic. After the international community responded with alarm, Venezuela's Maduro and Guiana's Ali agreed to meet at a neutral site in the Caribbean to discuss the delicate situation.

While the two leaders didn't resolve any substantive issues at the meeting, they did agree to keep the situation peaceful, saying in a joint statement that they, quote, will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances. They also agreed to form a joint commission that will deliver a report to address solutions to the dispute in roughly three months. They agreed to get also to meet again in Brazil when the joint commission finishes their work. Now, Venezuela's claims over the Esquibo region are rooted in a territorial dispute. that goes back to Spanish colonial times.

The area that Maduro covets, largely because of recent oil discoveries, is a massive territory making up two-thirds of Guiana's landmass. ExxonMobil discovered large deposits of oil in that region in 2015, which propelled Guiana's economy into one of the fastest growing in the world and renewed Venezuela's interest in claiming the territory. We'll keep an eye on the situation as we head into the new year. All right, coming up after the break, we'll draw the curtains on 2023 and turn our focus to what promises to be an insanely action-packed, complex, and possibly chaotic year ahead. And by possibly, I mean, yeah, it'll be chaotic. I'll be right back.

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From daily probiotics to fiber gummies your kiddos will love. Find it all on Ali.com. That's OLLL-L-Y. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. As the clock ticks over and we lean into the promise of a new year, we look at the challenges faced and the triumphs celebrated during this past year. And we realize that despite the conflicts, the hardships and the difficulties, at its core, the world is a tough and resilient place.

And while there's strife and bad actors, there's always, even if it can be difficult to find at times, a sense of hope, optimism, and the belief that we can do better, that we can overcome the hardships. Sometimes, depending on what's happening in the world or in your neighborhood, you just have to look a bit harder to find that hope and optimism. In 2023, nations navigated complex diplomatic landscapes, grappled with the repercussions of economic. shifts and dealt with new and continuing conflicts. Trouble wasn't isolated to just one part of the globe. As listeners of the PDB understand, a number of the world's regions faced distinct challenges. Israel and Gaza continued their long-standing conflict with violence impacting lives on both sides. Russia's aggression and onslaught in Ukraine continued amidst waning international attention and efforts for resolution.

South America saw political and social unrest, Africa grappled with internal conflicts and terrorism threats, and the Middle East. Well, Middle East remains a complex tapestry of geopolitical tensions, including the continued strife in Syria and Yemen, and growing concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions in their role in supporting terrorist organizations from Gaza to Lebanon to Yemen. These situations underscore the need for robust and effective international. dialogue and the maintenance and strengthening of key partnerships and alliances. When the world seems to be in conflict, that's not the time to isolate yourselves. It's the time to work together as best as possible. Now, we also witness the resilience of communities, the advancements in technology and medicine and space exploration with new missions to the moon, to Mars, and beyond. Technological advances continued to reshape lives, particularly in AI and digital infrastructure. Major elections across the globe reflected shifts in political ideologies and leadership, with impacts on national policies and international relations.

And of course, looking forward, 2024 will bring the U.S. presidential elections, and that, putting it diplomatically, will be, well, pick your own descriptive words. Interesting, entertaining, impactful, bizarre, dysfunctional, divisive, Let's go with all of the above. And as always, the New Year presents us all with a blank canvas, with the opportunity to strengthen our families, our communities, and ideally the world. For some, it's a chance to build on progress. For others, it's a hoped for a new opportunity, a fresh page to write a new future,

to do better, to help others do better. As we move into 2024, let's also remember to be a new opportunity. pay tribute to the brave men and women in uniform, our vigilant first responders, and also the quiet heroes in our midst. Their dedication forms the backbone of our societies, ensuring that our new year can be a time of celebration and hope. I'm Mike Baker. It's been a privilege to share time with you in 2023. I look forward to bringing you the President's daily brief throughout the coming year. I'll be back with our regular coverage on Tuesday to January. I wish you all, a very very very Happy New Year's. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday, 29 December

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