The United States warned Nicolás Maduro after a Venezuelan warship entered Guyanese waters, threatening ExxonMobil’s operations. President Irfaan Ali of Guyana condemned the act, emphasizing Guyana’s territorial integrity and notifying international allies. Tensions have risen following a controversial referendum by Maduro seeking powers to invade Guyana, further complicating the longstanding dispute over the Essequibo region.
The United States has issued a strong warning to Nicolás Maduro following the incursion of a Venezuelan patrol boat into Guyanese waters, which reportedly jeopardized ExxonMobil’s offshore operations. The State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned this action as unacceptable and a violation of Guyana’s maritime territory. The agency emphasized that any further provocation would have consequences for Maduro’s regime and reaffirmed its support for Guyana’s territorial integrity based on the 1899 arbitral award.
On the same day, President Irfaan Ali of Guyana denounced the Venezuelan military vessel’s presence near ExxonMobil’s oil block in the Essequibo region, a contested area between Venezuela and Guyana. In a televised statement, Ali asserted that his government had alerted its international partners, including the United States, regarding the matter. He expressed that this incursion represented a grave concern and that Guyana would not accept threats to its territorial integrity.
Ali further stated that the Venezuelan vessel had approached several assets within what Guyana deems its exclusive waters, heightening tensions with Venezuela, a situation that has historical roots dating back over a century. Recently, tension escalated after Maduro held a referendum in December 2023, seeking special powers to invade Guyana for control of Essequibo, with claims of a 98% approval, widely criticized for alleged electoral fraud.
Maintaining an aggressive rhetoric, Maduro has persistently promoted the issue on Venezuelan television, asserting his regime’s unwavering claim over the Essequibo region, which has remained under Guyanese control since 1899. He has also enacted legislation to declare the region as part of Venezuela and has boosted military forces along the border.
The recent incidents follow an earlier event on February 17, where six soldiers from the Guyana Defence Force were injured in an ambush attributed to alleged members of a Venezuelan criminal gang. The Venezuelan government dismissed the allegations as a malicious fabrication.
In summary, the United States has expressed grave concerns over the Venezuelan incursion into Guyanese waters, emphasizing the violation of maritime territory and the potential consequences for Maduro’s regime. President Irfaan Ali of Guyana has taken steps to internationalize the issue, while historical disputes continue to shape relations between the two countries, particularly regarding the contested Essequibo region.
Original Source: www.miamiherald.com
