51�Թ�

The US also backs Guyana in its territorial dispute with Venezuela over the vast Essequibo region that forms the western two thirds of Guyana.

Because this is where the swathe of Guyanese territory known as Essequibo - the two-thirds of Guyana that lies west of the Essequibo River - meets the Venezuelan border.

For the past year, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has been noisily pushing his country's long-standing claim to Essequibo.

Intelligence reports suggest the Maduro government is building a new military base further inland, and Venezuelan army and naval units have reportedly been beefed up close to Essequibo.

So what lies behind the Venezuelans' decision to raise the temperature in the historic dispute over Essequibo?