124 Chapter 2
101 Venezuela/110 Guyana
MID#1166
Dispute Number: 1166
Date(s): October 14, 1966 to April 14, 1967
Participants: 101 Venezuela/110 Guyana
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This dispute describes the Ankoko Affair. Venezuela and Guyana con-
tested several areas, including over half of Guyanese-administered territory, which
was rich in oil, gold, and diamonds. In 1899 an arbitration court granted the land to
Guyana, but in 1951 Venezuela reopened the border issue after a memo from Ameri-
can counsel surfaced that suggested the award was illegal and had been made thanks
to a secret deal between Britain and Russia. In 1962 Venezuela officially renounced
the arbitral decision. Venezuela requested support from the UN General Assembly in
February 1962 and, after several rounds of talks, both sides signed an agreement on
February 17, 1966, that established a border commission to study the boundary, with
Venezuela promising it would not press its claims during this time.
The dispute became militarized over the sovereignty of Ankoko Island—three
square miles of land that lay at the juncture of the Cuyuni and Wenamu border rivers,
about 300 miles southwest of Georgetown. Venezuela claimed the entire island while
Guyana claimed the eastern half. On October 14, Guyana discovered 75 to 100 Ven-
ezuelans, both civilian and military, who were mining on the eastern half of the island;
Guyana also discovered that Venezuela had constructed an airport on the contested
territory. On October 14, Guyana’s prime minister, Forbes Burnham, sent a letter of
protest to the foreign minister of Venezuela, Ignacio Iribarren Borges, and Guyanese
demonstrators burned a flag at the Venezuelan consulate. On October 18, Venezuela
sent a diplomatic note to Burnham in which it took the position that no violation could
occur because it possessed sovereignty over the entire island. Both sides continued
to contest sovereignty over the eastern half of the island. On June 18, 1970, Britain,
Guyana, and Venezuela signed the Protocol of Port-of-Spain and agreed to set their
territorial disputes to the side for 12 years.
Coding changes: Outcome changed from Compromise.
MID#2239
Dispute Number: 2239
Date(s): January 18, 1969 to January 20, 1969
Participants: 101 Venezuela/110 Guyana, 140 Brazil
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Guyana reinforced its borders with Brazil and Venezuela following threats
by fugitive leaders in the area who were pledging attacks on Guyana. The would-be
cattle ranchers’ revolt tried to drive Venezuela to take up arms, but no actions fol-
lowed the revolt’s rhetoric.
Coding changes: Added to the dispute: 140 Brazil.