In the coming week, tensions are rekindled between Venezuela and Guyana over a territorial dispute.

The U.S. missile defense base becomes operable in Poland, and the Democratic Republic of Congo holds general elections against many odds.

It's December 14, 2023 in time for the world next week. I'm Bob McMahon.

And I'm Carl Ann Robbins.

So, Bob, let's start.

Actually, let's start in St. Vincent.

I'd love to.

I know.

The weather's going to be better there.

Today, Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro andan Ali meet in St. Vizzen, and they're

going to discuss this very long-standing border dispute.

Venezuela has claimed sovereignty over a significant region of Guyana, about two-thirds of

Ghana's territory, and this dispute dates back to the

19th century. So why is Maduro now threatening to annex this region, and how seriously should we

take this? Is there a danger of a military confrontation? Well, on the last part, we'll get a real

sense of that at this meeting in St. Vincent, the fact that they fairly readily agreed to

this meeting and there are some powerful, as well as concerned neighbors who are normally

friendly or towards Venezuela involved, means that maybe this is going to be a path to de-escalating

this dispute since it has been, as you said, so long percolating. And as for why it is occurring now, those who are most

familiar with Venezuelan domestic situations say there's a clear line between the surfacing

of this and the prioritizing of this by the Maduro government at this time because of a

Venezuelan election cycle that's playing out and what

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