Guyana’s Oil Bonanza: A Tale of Triumph, Turmoil, and Troubling Terms Guyana’s 2015 oil discovery transformed it from South America’s poorest nation into the world’s fastest-growing economy, with GDP soaring 62.3% in 2022 and per capita income projected to hit developed world levels by 2030. Yet, its 2016 contract with ExxonMobil—featuring a paltry 2% royalty and generous cost recovery—has sparked outrage for shortchanging citizens. Inexperience, ethnic strife, and Venezuelan threats drove Guyana into a desperate deal, while geopolitical chess, with US and Chinese players, loomed large. The Natural Resource Fund and Low Carbon Strategy aim to secure the future, but corruption, inequality, and environmental risks threaten progress. Guyana dreams of Norway’s oil success but grapples with weak institutions and social divides. As Essequibo tensions simmer, Guyana’s saga—marked by dazzling wealth and daunting challenges—unfolds, a cautionary tale of a nation racing to harness black gold ...