Guyana voted Monday to decide who will manage the South American nation's newfound oil riches and navigate rising tensions in a territorial dispute with neighbor Venezuela.

As some 750,000 eligible voters cast their ballots for one of six presidential hopefuls, Venezuela upped the ante by accusing Guyana of "trying to create a war front."

This came after Georgetown on Sunday publicly accused Venezuela of firing shots on a boat transporting election materials in the oil-rich Essequibo region that both neighbors lay claim to.

Venezuela denied the allegations.

Despite the tensions, "the day went well," a spokeswoman for Guyana's electoral commission, Yolanda Ward, said -- an assessment shared by anti-corruption NGO Transparency International.

The results are not expected before Thursday

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