Faced with tensions between Venezuela and Guyana, the international community calls for calm

The United States, the United Kingdom and several Latin American countries are concerned about the escalation between Guyana and Venezuela around the Essequibo oil region.

UN Security Council, United States, Mercosur… The international community is increasing calls for calm to defuse the growing tensions between Venezuela and Guyana, in conflict over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed his “unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty” which controls Essequibo, Thursday December 7. British Foreign Minister David Cameron, for his part, called on Venezuela, which organized a consultative referendum to annex the territory of its neighbor, to “cease” his actions, “seeing no argument” who could justify “unilateral action”.

The United States announced air military exercises “routine” in Guyana, a “unfortunate provocation” for Venezuela. The UN Security Council will also consider the matter behind closed doors on Friday, at the request of Guyana.

Acerbic exchanges

The members of Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay) as well as Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, urged Thursday evening “the two parties to dialogue and the search for a peaceful solution (…) in order to avoid unilateral initiatives which could worsen” the situation, in a joint press release. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had earlier said he did not want to “War in South America”.

Tensions rose further after the discovery of the bodies of five of the seven soldiers missing in the crash of a Guyanese helicopter on the border on Wednesday, the Guyanese army announced. The army opened a “investigation”but nevertheless indicated that he did not “no information to suggest” a Venezuelan intervention, specifying that the weather conditions were “bad”.

The two countries, however, renewed contact on Wednesday between their foreign ministers and “agreed to keep communication channels open”, according to a Venezuelan press release. However, the exchanges continue to be bitter. On Thursday, Guyanese Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said his country would not “didn’t trust” to Nicolas Maduro, at the head according to him of a “unpredictable government”. He also swept “the ultimatum” from Maduro to companies operating in Guyana: “They must not take into account Maduro or his ultimatum. They operate legally, completely legally”.