Venezuela on Thursday called US military exercises in Guyana a “provocation”. He claims the oil-rich Essequibo region, under Guyanese administration, which is fueling a diplomatic crisis which will be examined Friday by the UN Security Council.
The UN is responding to a request from Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd for an emergency meeting of the Security Council to be held behind closed doors on Friday.
The United States announced Thursday in a press release that it was carrying out “air operations” in Guyana “in collaboration with the defense forces” of the country.
“This exercise is part of routine engagements and operations aimed at strengthening the security partnership between the United States and Guyana,” adds the document from the American Embassy in Guyana.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed his “unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty”.
“A step in the wrong direction”
“This unfortunate provocation by the United States in favor of the praetorians of ExxonMobil”, the main oil operator in Guyana, “is another step in the wrong direction”, reacted on X the Venezuelan Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino Lopez. “They will not make us turn away from our future actions for the recovery of the Essequibo. »
Faced with escalating tensions in the region, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that he did not want a “war in South America”. “We must build peace,” he insisted.
Adding to the tension, a Guyanese military helicopter with seven people on board was reported missing Wednesday near the border with Venezuela. On Thursday, the Guyanese army announced that it had found him, crushed in a “mountainous and dense forest” area.
Five of the plane’s seven occupants died in the crash, the reasons for which are still unknown, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced later in the day. He spoke of “the tragic loss of some of our best men” and cited the names of the five dead on his Instagram account.
The army, which the day before had indicated that it had “no information suggesting” a Venezuelan intervention, opened an “investigation”.
The United States is an ally of Guyana, a small country destined to become an Eldorado of black gold, with the largest per capita reserves on the planet, notably thanks to recent discoveries in the Essequibo.
Threats and communication
Caracas has claimed this 160,000 km territory for decades2, which represents more than two-thirds of Guyana and is home to 125,000 people, or a fifth of the country’s population. Venezuela has become more pressing since the discovery of large oil reserves by ExxonMobil in 2015.
The two countries, however, renewed contact on Wednesday with a telephone call between the foreign ministers “to discuss the issue of the territorial dispute”, according to a Venezuelan press release. They “agreed to keep communication channels open,” according to the text.
This rapprochement occurred after bitter exchanges.
Caracas has accused Guyanese President Irfaan Ali of having “irresponsibly” given the “green light” to the installation of American military bases in Essequibo.
At the same time, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for the creation of a special military zone near the border and ordered state giant PDVSA to grant oil exploitation licenses in the Essequibo.
President Irfaan Ali responded by speaking of “a direct threat to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Guyana”. He stressed that his army was on “full alert” and accused Venezuela of being an “outlaw nation” and “a significant risk to peace and security.”
Venezuela organized a referendum on Essequibo on Sunday to give more weight and credibility to its demands. According to official figures – disputed by many observers – some 10.4 million Venezuelan voters participated in the consultation and 95% of them said they were in favor of the integration of Essequibo into the country.
Venezuela maintains that the Essequibo River should be the natural border, as in 1777, during the time of the Spanish Empire. Guyana, for its part, argues that the border dates from the English colonial era and was ratified in 1899 by an arbitration court created ex nihilo for the case in Paris.