US warns Maduro of ‘consequences’ following incursion of Venezuelan warship into Guyana

The United States issued a stern warning to the Nicolás Maduro regime on Saturday following reports that a Venezuelan patrol boat entered into Guyanaese waters, threatening ExxonMobil’s offshore operations.

“Venezuelan naval vessels threatening ExxonMobil’s floating production, storage and offloading unit is unacceptable and a clear violation of Guyana’s internationally recognized maritime territory,” the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in its X account. “Further provocation will result in consequences for the Maduro regime. The United States reaffirms its support for Guyana’s territorial integrity.”

Earlier on Saturday, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali denounced the presence of the Venezuelan military vessel near the oil block run by ExxonMobil in the Essequibo, a Florida-sized region claimed by both countries.

Speaking in a televised address, Ali said that his Government had notified all of its international allies, including the United States.

“This incursion is a matter of grave concern,” the president said. “Guyana’s maritime boundaries are recognized under international law. This is a serious development concerning our nation’s maritime territory. We will not tolerate threats to territorial integrity.”

In a statement released on Facebook, Ali added that during the incursion, the “Venezuelan vessel approached several assets in our exclusive waters.”

Tensions between the two South American nations over the disputed mineral-rich region goes back for more than a century but intensified following a referendum held in December 2023, in which Maduro asked Venezuelans to grant him special powers to invade the neighboring country to take over the Essequibo by force if necessary.

Despite clear evidence that the regime had tampered with the election’s results, Maduro claimed that he got the approval from 98% of voters.

All throughout the following year, Maduro sought to keep the issue alive in Venezuela through repeated TV spots asserting that the regime would not yield Venezuela’s claim over the Essequibo region, which has been under Guyanese control since 1899.

Maduro also issued laws declaring the region as the country’s newest state and boosted Venezuela’s military presence near the border.

The Essequibo contains six of the 10 regions that make up Guyana and is home to 125,000 of its 800,000 inhabitants.

Saturday’s events follows an incident occurring on Feb. 17, when the Guyana Defence Force reported that six of its soldiers were injured in an ambush on a supply transport carried out by alleged members of a Venezuelan criminal gang.

The Caracas regime labeled the incident a “vile frame-up.”