US warns Maduro of ‘consequences’ following incursion of Venezuelan warship into Guyana
The United States has issued a warning to the Nicolás Maduro regime following reports of a Venezuelan patrol boat entering Guyanaese waters, threatening ExxonMobil’s offshore operations.
The State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs stated that the Venezuelan naval vessels threatening the FPSO unit is unacceptable and a clear violation of Guyana’s internationally-recognized maritime territory.
The US reaffirms its support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and the 1899 arbitral award. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali denounced the presence of the Venezuelan military vessel near the oil block run by ExxonMobil in Essequibo, a Florida-sized region disputed by both countries.
Tensions between the two South American nations over the disputed mineral-rich region have been strained for over a century, but intensified following a referendum in December 2023.
Maduro claimed to have received 98% of the vote, but continued to maintain the issue through repeated TV spots and laws declaring the region as the country’s newest state.
The Essequibo contains six of the 10 regions that make up Guyana and is home to 125,000 of its 800,000 inhabitants.