evidence: Disputed Territory in Guyana[1] [...] The creation of the ZODI by Venezuela in the disputed area will very likely prompt both Venezuela and Guyana to increase their military presence in the Essequibo territory. This escalation in military activity will very likely heighten the risk of confrontations and conflicts between the security forces of both nations. The heightened military presence is likely to lead to border incidents, such as skirmishes or unauthorized military movements, and human rights violations in the disputed territory. Such incidents are likely to escalate to unintended conflicts, further exacerbating diplomatic tensions. The militarization of the disputed zone will almost certainly strain diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Guyana, very likely reducing the effectiveness of diplomatic channels in resolving the conflict. [...] [1] "Map of Guyana with Disputed Areas (Tigri and Guayana Esequiba)" by SurinameCentral licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 [2] Venezuelans approve a referendum to claim sovereignty over a swathe of neighboring Guyana, AP, December 2023, https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-90a4f0f962a83620903987a68a7d39b0 [3] Maduro orders the ‘immediate’ exploitation of oil, gas and mines in Guyana’s Essequibo, AP, December 2023, https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-essequibo-territory-dispute-maduro-referendum-20d923994e30da1812997f22c2036f88 [4] UN court bars Venezuela from altering Guyana’s control over disputed territory, AP, December 2023, https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-guyana-maduro-referendum-essequibo-c031c2e6264392183503d988d6346e8e [5] President Ali’s statement on the April 6, 2023 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Office of the President, April 2023, https://op.gov.gy/index.php/2023/04/06/president-alis-statement-on-the-april-6-2023-ruling-by-the-international-court-of-justice-icj/