Nicolás Maduro is serious, at least on paper. On Wednesday evening, the Venezuelan president signed a law creating a Venezuelan province in Essequibo. However, this is located in an internationally recognized area of neighboring Guyana, which is about twice the size of Bavaria.
The law has been drafted by the Venezuelan National Assembly since the end of last year. At that time, the country held a referendum in which 95 percent of voters voted for the incorporation of Essequibo into the Venezuelan map. Venezuela's move caused outrage far beyond Guyana and was criticized internationally as violating international law.