![A mural of the Venezuelan map with the Essequibo territory included.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/venezuela-oil-guyana-essequibo-12042023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
Yesterday, Venezuela held a controversial referendum to underscore its longstanding territorial claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region. But despite fears the referendum was an effort to provide popular legitimacy for the government to seize and annex Essequibo, there are plenty of reasons why a military operation to do so is highly unlikely.