Brazil increases northern border military presence amid Venezuela-Guyana spat -ministry

FILE PHOTO: Members of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela organize the people who participate in an electoral simulation before the referendum on December 3 over Venezuela's rights to the potentially oil-rich region of Esequiba in Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil "has intensified defensive actions" along its northern border as it monitors a territorial dispute between its neighbors, Guyana and Venezuela, the country's defense ministry said on Wednesday.

"The Ministry of Defense has been monitoring the situation. Defensive actions have been intensified in the northern border region of the country, promoting a greater military presence," it said in a statement.