CARACAS, December 8. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has greenlighted a project to build housing on the border with Guyana and issue Venezuelan IDs to residents of the Essequibo region.

"I have approved a project from the Ministry of Popular Power for the construction of 120 homes in San Martin de Turumbang on the edge of the Cuyuni River," the Venezuelan leader told Venezolana de Television on Thursday. According to him, the construction of social housing as part of the Great Venezuelan Housing Mission that has already built 4.8 mln flats and single-family homes "will now cover the Venezuelan state of Guyana Essequibo as well."

Maduro said he had held a meeting with Major-General Alexis Rodriguez Cabello, who was appointed provisional authority in Essequibo ahead of next year’s elections, to discuss projects in the spheres of education, healthcare and housing. There are plans to open an office where residents of the disputed region will be able to get their Venezuelan IDs in Tumeremo, the would-be headquarters of Cabillo's administration, soon.

On December 6, Venezuela’s National Assembly (parliament) unanimously voted to pass the first reading of a bill in defense of the Essequibo territory within Venezuela based on the results of a consultative referendum. The bill envisages creating a 24th Venezuelan province in Essequibo. Venezuela and Guyana have been at odds over a 159,500-square-kilometer area west of the Essequibo River for more than a century.