Venezuelan Border Venezuelan Border DisputeDispute

By, Ashlyn Maurer, Nick Ricciardi, By, Ashlyn Maurer, Nick Ricciardi, and Maria Van Buskirkand Maria Van Buskirk

What is it?What is it? Dispute over the boundary between Dispute over the boundary between

Venezuela and GuyanaVenezuela and Guyana Grew more important after the discovery of Grew more important after the discovery of

gold in the disputed areagold in the disputed area Venezuela finally sought aid from the Venezuela finally sought aid from the

United States and broke relations with United States and broke relations with Great BritainGreat Britain

How did the US get involved?How did the US get involved? U.S. pressured Great Britain to participate in U.S. pressured Great Britain to participate in

arbitration of the boundary dispute.arbitration of the boundary dispute. U.S. officials even went as far as threatening U.S. officials even went as far as threatening

war .war . Richard Olney, protested against the Richard Olney, protested against the

enlargement of British Guyana at the expense of enlargement of British Guyana at the expense of Venezuela. Venezuela.

This meant that the British had already violated This meant that the British had already violated the Monroe Doctrine of 1823the Monroe Doctrine of 1823

Britain agreed to let an international tribunal Britain agreed to let an international tribunal arbitrate the boundary in 1897arbitrate the boundary in 1897

What where the U.S.MotivesWhat where the U.S.Motives?? Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland, who was serving a , who was serving a

second term as President, realized that second term as President, realized that he was losing popularity among he was losing popularity among workers everywhere in the country. He workers everywhere in the country. He and his secretary of State, Richard and his secretary of State, Richard Olney, decided to adopt a foreign Olney, decided to adopt a foreign policy and help Venezuela to divert policy and help Venezuela to divert attention from their own country’s attention from their own country’s problems.problems.

Get the British out of the Western Get the British out of the Western HemisphereHemisphere

Did they justify their motives?Did they justify their motives?

The U.S. justified their motives by using The U.S. justified their motives by using the Monroe Doctrine to demand arbitration the Monroe Doctrine to demand arbitration ((legal technique for resolving a dispute outside of courtlegal technique for resolving a dispute outside of court))

This use of the This use of the Monroe DoctrineMonroe Doctrine helped helped to enforce it in the Western Hemisphere to enforce it in the Western Hemisphere and push the British out, which was one of and push the British out, which was one of their motives for getting involved.their motives for getting involved.

SupermanSuperman

The United States acted as superman as The United States acted as superman as opposed to a mafia don.opposed to a mafia don.

Assisted Venezuela in claiming their land.Assisted Venezuela in claiming their land. Helped Venezuela more then it benefited the Helped Venezuela more then it benefited the

United States.United States. They substantially assisted in moving the British They substantially assisted in moving the British

out of the land that was not rightfully theirs and out of the land that was not rightfully theirs and for this Venezuela was very thankful.for this Venezuela was very thankful.

Reaction of local populationReaction of local population

The local population was happy with The local population was happy with the U.S. help because it helped the U.S. help because it helped Venezuela gain land even though the Venezuela gain land even though the British still had some controlBritish still had some control..

Final ResultFinal Result

In 1899, 94% of the disputed territory to British In 1899, 94% of the disputed territory to British Guyana. Venezuela got only the mouth of the Guyana. Venezuela got only the mouth of the Orinoco River and a short stretch of the Atlantic Orinoco River and a short stretch of the Atlantic coastline.coastline.

Venezuela was unhappy with the decision, a Venezuela was unhappy with the decision, a commission surveyed a new border and both commission surveyed a new border and both sides accepted the boundary in 1905, thus sides accepted the boundary in 1905, thus creating the creating the Schomburgk LineSchomburgk Line

MAPSMAPS

Work SitedWork Sited

http://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastoryhttp://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastory/chapter84.html/chapter84.html

http://www.historycentral.com/http://www.historycentral.com/Industrialage/BorderDispute.html Industrialage/BorderDispute.html

http://countrystudies.us/guyana/8.htm http://countrystudies.us/guyana/8.htm http://www.questia.com/library/http://www.questia.com/library/

encyclopedia/encyclopedia/venezuela_boundary_dispute.jsp venezuela_boundary_dispute.jsp

http://merln.ndu.edu/imguploaded/http://merln.ndu.edu/imguploaded/americamap.jpg americamap.jpg