Britain will send a military warship to the region to show that it stands by its former colony Guyana in the growing tensions with its neighbor Venezuela over the disputed Essequibo region.
In a statement made by the British Ministry of Defense, it was reported that the HMS Trent patrol ship will participate in a joint exercise with Guyana, a Commonwealth member, after Christmas.
This patrol ship has previously taken part in the fight against drug traffickers in the region.
Most recently, on December 7, the United States organized a joint military exercise to show that it stands by Guyana in the growing tensions with neighboring Venezuela over the disputed Essequibo region.
Tensions have recently flared again over the Essequibo region, which has been controlled by Guyana for more than a century but is rich in oil deposits that Venezuela also claims and has expressed its intention to take over.
The long-standing dispute over Essequibo, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana's territory, has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered oil in the region in 2015.
Maduro holds referendum on the fate of Essequibo on December 3
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stepped up pressure after receiving overwhelming support in a December 3 referendum on the fate of Essequibo.
Essequibo is home to 125,000 of Guyana's 800,000 citizens.
The case over where the territory's borders should be is being litigated at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
In a referendum in Venezuela, voters reject the jurisdiction of the ICJ and support the creation of a new Venezuelan state.
Guyana, the only country in South America whose official language is English, declared its independence from British colonization in 1966.
