evidence: Essequibo is a densely forested region in Guyana that is roughly the size of Florida and home to more than 125,000 of Guyana’s 800,000 citizens. Indigenous Peoples make up the majority of the region's population, sustaining and guarding its rich biodiversity. At the beginning of December 2023, Venezuela held a referendum in which its population rejected the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice over the country's long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana. Criticized as being politically motivated, the Venezuelan vote would essentially support the annexation of two-thirds of the Guyanese territory for the creation of a new state in the Essequibo region. Guyana’s government has called the move an "existential" threat. [...] On December 14, 2023, the Presidents of Venezuela and Guyana agreed not to resort to force to settle the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region. However, in early February 2024, satellite images showed that Venezuela had expanded its military presence near the border with Guyana.