Venezuela has approved the creation of a state in the disputed, oil-rich Essequibo region across the border in Guyana, sparking a "violation" of Guyana's sovereignty, with tensions escalated as the area has been administered by Guyana for over a century

Oil sanctions on Venezuela have been reinstated by the US, criticizing President Nicolás Maduro's attempts to solidify his rule just 6 months after the US had relaxed restrictions in an effort to support “now-faded hopes” for democracy in the nation

The Venezuelan NGO Acceso a la Justicia denounced the reduction of voter registration centers in Venezuela, claiming that this is aiming to discourage citizen participation in the upcoming presidential elections on 28 July

President Maduro, following a meeting with his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, reiterated his call for a "peaceful solution" to the longstanding territorial dispute between the two countries