GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The President of Guyana strongly criticized a recent incident involving an armed Venezuelan naval vessel trespassing into disputed waters that house a significant offshore oil reservoir under development by ExxonMobil. President Irfaan Ali, during a televised address, emphasized that Guyana promptly informed all its international allies, including the Trump administration, and had arranged for Venezuela’s ambassador in Georgetown to officially register a complaint.
President Ali expressed deep concern over the intrusion, stressing that Guyana’s maritime borders are established by international law. He described the event as a crucial issue related to the nation’s maritime area, asserting a firm stance against any threats to its territorial integrity. The Trump administration, which recently took decisive measures to tighten sanctions against the Venezuelan government led by President Nicolás Maduro, promptly supported President Ali’s stance.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement echoing President Ali’s concerns, warning that further provocations would lead to consequences for the Maduro regime. President Ali revealed that the Venezuelan vessel had passed in close proximity to several large vessels used for oil storage from the three oilfields managed by Exxon, along with partners Hess Corp and CNOOC of China, located in the Stabroek Block holding an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil.
President Ali highlighted the deployment of numerous aircraft and marine vessels to assist the extensive operations of drill ships, seismic vessels, and support ships within the bloc. This incident unfolded just weeks after armed individuals, suspected to be Venezuelan pirates in the border Cuyuni River, engaged in a firefight with a Guyanese military patrol, resulting in injuries to six soldiers, two of whom sustained severe wounds.
Ever since ExxonMobil made a significant oil discovery in Guyana back in 2015, Venezuela has reignited an age-old territorial dispute with Guyana and has taken steps towards annexing the remote Essequibo region, which constitutes a substantial portion of Guyana’s landmass. The neighboring countries have been embroiled in disputes over land and maritime boundaries for decades, with Venezuela alleging that a boundaries commission in the 1890s unfairly deprived it of the oil-rich territory. The region was under British administration for over a century and has been under Guyanese control since 1966, following the nation’s independence from the United Kingdom.
