Oil Bonanza Plunges Guyana Into Political Crisis
The discovery of a wealth of oil in the tiny country, one of the poorest in South America, has deepened ethnic divisions and exacerbated tensions during a crucial election.
By
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — The discovery of an enormous oil deposit off the coast of Guyana was meant to catapult this tiny country into the top echelons of petroleum producers and put its citizens on the path to better lives.
Instead, it has deepened the historical tensions shackling the nation, leaving some Guyanese afraid that the newfound wealth will subvert the country’s fragile democracy and wipe out other industries, as happened in neighboring Venezuela.
GUYANA
Atlantic
Ocean
SURINAME
VENEZUELA
FRENCH
GUIANA
Georgetown
COLOMBIA
Amazon
BRAZIL
PERU
BOLIVIA
Rio de
Janeiro
PARAGUAY
Pacific
Ocean
ARGENTINA
400 MILES
By The New York Times
The tensions surrounding the elections for president and members of the National Assembly this week may be a sign of trouble to come.