内容摘要：Security camps are often equipped with surveillance and communication equipment to assist in the operation against the rebels. The 20,000-strong local police force is also helping in the operations in Bastar.

Security camps are often equipped with surveillance and communication equipment to assist in the operation against the rebels. The 20,000-strong local police force is also helping in the operations in Bastar.

But Venezuela's neighbour Guyana, a former British colony, has administered the region for over a century. It claims Essequibo as its own.As Venezuela prepares for parliamentary and regional elections on May 25, that longstanding territorial dispute has returned to the spotlight. For the first time, Venezuela will elect representatives not only for its 23 recognised states but also for a new state: Guayana Esequiba.

Rivas is standing as a candidate. He’s running on behalf of the socialist coalition led by President Nicolas Maduro.Eight seats in Venezuela's National Assembly have been assigned to Essequibo. But neither Rivas nor any of the other candidates can campaign there.Those who live in the region — mainly those with Guyanese citizenship — can’t even vote. The Guyanese government has warned that participating in Venezuela’s election could amount to treason.

Even international bodies have rejected the vote. On May 1, the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body at the United Nations, ruled that Venezuela must "refrain from conducting elections" for Essequibo while it continues to weigh the territorial dispute.Nevertheless, Rivas and supporters of the new state see the regional elections as crucial to assert Venezuela’s longstanding claim over Essequibo. He considers the opportunity “an honour”.

‘An anti-imperialist, nationalist storyline’

But even among Venezuelans, there are doubts about the motives behind this month's vote.Funding for the Golden Dome has not yet been secured. At Tuesday’s news conference, Trump confirmed that he was seeking $25bn for the system in a

currently moving through Congress, although that sum could be cut amid ongoing negotiations.Additionally, some variation is expected in the total cost of the project. The Associated Press quoted an unnamed government official as saying Trump had been given three versions of the plan, described as “medium,” “high”, and “extra high”. These versions correspond to the number of satellites, sensors and interceptors that will be placed in space. AP reported that Trump picked the “high” version, which has an initial cost ranging between $30bn and $100bn.

“The new data point is the $175 billion, but the question remains, over what period of time. It’s probably 10 years,” Tom Karako, a senior fellow with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told the Reuters news agency.On May 1, 42 Democratic members of the US Congress signed a letter questioning the possible involvement of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is among the top technology companies seeking to build key components of the Golden Dome.