Rupununi Uprising
The Rupununi Uprising was a secessionist insurrection in Guyana that began on 2 January 1969. It was recognized as the largest threat to Guyana's national security when Venezuela disputed territorial control of the Guayana Esequiba, amounting to two-thirds of Guyana's territory. Occurring less than two years after Guyana’s independence from the United Kingdom, it constituted the country’s earliest and most severe test of statehood and social solidarity. The uprising was ultimately dispersed by the Guyana Defence Force.
Background
Venezuelan support for acquiring the Guayana Esequiba grew fifty years after Venezuela and the United Kingdom signed the 1897 Arbitration Treaty, with an 1899 decision ruling in favor of the United Kingdom keeping the majority of Guayana Esequiba. In 1949, Venezuela's secretary of their counsel during the arbitration, Severo Mallet-Prevost, left a posthumous note alleging that political deals had been made to favor the United Kingdom's claims.In the 1950s, Venezuelan media lead grassroots movements demanding the acquisition of Guayana Esequiba. Under the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, the Venezuelan government began plans to invade Guayana Esequiba. President Pérez Jiménez anticipated the invasion of Guyana in 1958, but was overthrown in the 1958 Venezuelan coup d'état prior to this.
After being elected in 1964, Venezuelan president Raúl Leoni made several territorial disputes against Guyana, claiming land for Venezuela. At the time, Venezuela used diplomatic, economic and military pressure against Guyana in order to acquire the Essequibo territory. Diplomatic action included Venezuela blocking Guyana's entry into the Organization of American States and its attempt to prevent Guyana from signing the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Economically, nations were threatened by Venezuela that economic sanctions would be enforced against them if they attempted to assist Guyana with developing the Essequibo region. The Venezuelan government also warned foreign corporations that any land use agreements with Guyana would be treated as void if Venezuela gained control of the territory. Guyana described Venezuela's actions as "economic aggression".
By 1966, Venezuela began to educate elementary school students that Guayana Esequiba belonged to Venezuela, promoting the idea to younger generations. Five months after Guyana's independence from the United Kingdom, Venezuela moved to occupy Ankoko Island from Guyana in October 1966, with Venezuelan troops building military installations and an airstrip on the island. The Guyanese government disputed the occupation of the island by Venezuela, though President Leoni's government forcefully denied Guyana's protests.
Venezuelan actions to acquire Guyanese territory intensified in 1968, with militarization occurring on the Guyana-Venezuela border at the time. Days after leaving a subcommittee discussing Guyana-Venezuela border disputes on 4 July 1968, President Leoni declared an annexation of of coastline in the Essequibo on 9 July 1968, stating that the Venezuelan Navy would enforce the area.
Events
Tensions
, who was a United Force politician and was married to a successful rancher, was present at the First Conference of Amerindians Leaders, named the "Cabacaburi Congress" in 1968. This Conference presented demands to Prime Minister Forbes Burnham who represented the community of around 40,000 indigenous people of the Rupununi district.Following the controversial 1968 Guyanese general election, Valerie Hart declared herself president of the "Republic of the Rupununi", claiming control of the Rupununi region of Guyana. The rebels were primarily wealthy ranch owners of European descent that were supported by Amerindians, who were mainly ranch employees.
Preparation
Some scholars, including Harold Eugene Davis and Pedro González, have argued that Venezuela supported and sponsored the Rupununi rebels and their secession movement. According to González, Venezuelan president Raúl Leoni supported the uprising during the final months of his presidency, writing that Leoni "undoubtedly inspired and encouraged" the Rupununi Uprising. In an effort to receive support from Venezuela, Hart and her rebels stated that they would grant Venezuela control of Guyana's disputed Guayana Esequiba territory in exchange for assistance.At a 23 December 1969 meeting, ranchers finalized plans of a separated Rupununi state. According to Odeen Ishmael, a Guyanese diplomat. about 40 rebels were transported to Santa Elena de Uairén in Venezuela by aircraft on 24 December 1968 days after the Guyanese general election, and that following their arrival, the Venezuelan Army flew the Rupununi rebels to one of their facilities on 25 December 1968 where they armed with automatic rifles and bazookas and trained for seven days.
Attack
Ishmael states that on 2 January 1969, rebels flew in a Douglas C-47 Skytrain operated by Venezuelan personnel to Pirara, Guyana, north of Lethem, the main city of the Rupununi region, and that Valerie Hart, the rebel leader, flew to Caracas aboard the Douglas C-47 Skytrain's returning flight. Rebels began their attacks on Lethem in the morning, killing five police officers and two civilians while also destroying buildings belonging to the Guyanese government with bazooka fire. The rebels locked citizens in their homes and blocked airfields in Lethem, Annai Good Hope, Karanambo and Karasabai, attempting to block staging areas for Guyanese troops.Counterattack
News about the insurrection reached Georgetown by midday prompting the deployment of policemen and soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force. GDF troops arrived at an open airstrip away from Lethem. As troops approached, the rebels quickly fled and the uprising ended. About thirty of the rebels were arrested following the uprising. Members of the failed uprising fled to Venezuela for protection after their plans unravelled, with Hart and her rebels being granted Venezuelan citizenship by birth since, according to the Venezuelan government, they were recognized as being born in "the Reclamation Zone", a term widely used by Venezuela.Allegations that Guyanese forces had attacked and possibly killed Amerindians in the region were reported by indigenous groups. Bishop of Georgetown R. Lester Guilly traveled to the area and stated "I am happy to say that I am quite satisfied that there have been no atrocities". Opposition leader Cheddi Jagan attempted to send two of his Amerindian personnel to the region in order to observe possible atrocities, but they were held at the airfield Lethem by GDF troops and flown back to Georgetown.
Aftermath
At a press conference in Caracas on 8 January 1969, Hart, speaking through Venezuelan government-provided interpreters, stated "If Venezuela does not intervene right now with troops they would have in their hands a situation similar to the Bay of Pigs". The Guyanese government sent a letter to Venezuela on 8 January 1969. The letter condemned the "hypocrisy" of the Venezuelan government for attempting to "interfere" in Guyanese affairs, expressing "disgust" at Venezuela's acts to "advance its spurious territorial claim under the cover of subversion and terrorism". Venezuelan Minister of Internal Affairs Reinaldo Leandro Mora admitted publicly that Guyanese individuals received military training in Venezuela under the direction of their parents.In early-March 1969, 160 Amerindian leaders gathered with Guyanese Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, expressing their loyalty and condemned Venezuela for "instigating" insurrection in Rupununi. When it was apparent that the uprising movement had failed, the Venezuelan government refused to further assist with the uprising and all support ended with the inauguration of Rafael Caldera on 11 March 1969. In his final address to the Congress of Venezuela, President Leoni criticized the Government of Guyana for "cruelly smashing" the rebels.
Venezuelan maps produced since 1970 show the entire area from the eastern bank of the Essequibo, including the islands in the river, as Venezuelan territory. On some maps, the western Essequibo region is called the "Zone in Reclamation".