Paramaribo – The actions of a Venezuelan military vessel on Saturday in the Stabroek block in the territorial waters of Guyana encountered sharp protest from countries and regional organizations. The US, the organization of US States (OAS) and Caricom have sharply condemned the actions in various statements and called Venezuela to stop its aggressive actions immediately. An armed Venezuelan patrol ship entered the sea area of Guyana on Saturday around 7 a.m. local time and has threatened the FPSO Liza Prosperity of ExxonMobil Guyana, said President Irphaan Ali on Saturday during a directly broadcast speech from his office, State House.
Protest
President Ali stated that the Venezuelan vessel on the radio sent a message to the Prosperity oil production facility of ExxonMobil, which stated that it was in internationally disputed waters and had to stop her activities. “Let me be unambiguous, the maritime boundaries of Guyana are recognized under international law and this raid is a matter of great concern,” said President Ali.
The head of state summoned the Venezuelan ambassador in Guyana to protest strongly against the Venezuelan action. In Caracas, Guyana’s ambassador in Venezuela submitted a similar protest to the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Guyana has also informed various countries and international and regional partners, including the US, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the International Court of Justice, the OAS and Caricom, of the incident.
President Ali said that the chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, and the mediator for the community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) in the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsan, have been in contact with the Vincent Vincent since then.
Emergency consultation
President Ali also had emergency consultations on Saturday with the army command on the situation that has arisen and the air force of the Guyanese army and the coast guard were brought in a state of readiness. Later in the day, the head of state had a conversation with opposition leader Aubrey Norton and other members of the opposition and he informed them about the incident and the steps that the government has taken in the meantime. President Ali said on ‘X’ that Guyana will not allow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his country to violate the sovereignty of Guyana. “Make no mistake: supported by the strong voices and determined support from our international partners, Guyana will not allow Maduro and Venezuela to threat or violate our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Disapproval
“The Secretariat General of the Organization of US States (OAS) unambiguously condemns the recent actions of Venezuelan naval vessels that threaten the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units of ExxonMobil, operating within the internationally recognized Maritime area of Guyana,” said De Oas in the Oas in the OAS. “Such intimidation actions are a clear violation of international law, undermine regional stability and threaten the principles of peaceful living together between nations. The OAS repeats its steadfast support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana. The Venezuelan regime must immediately stop all aggressive maneuvers that can escalate tensions in the region, “the organization continued.
The OAS urged the Venezuelan regime to respect current international legal processes, including the trial of the territorial dispute for the International Court of Justice. Any attempt to use coercion or violence to change set limits is unacceptable and contrary to the fundamental principles of the OAS Charter and international law in general, “the organization said. The international community was further called upon to remain vigilant and to defend the rule of law and regional security.
State Department warns
The US Department of Foreign Affairs warned Venezuela that if the military threats against the FPSO of ExxonMobil and the violation of the borders of Guyana continue, action will be taken. What actions will be taken by the US was not said. “Further provocation will have consequences for the Maduro regime,” said the Bureau for Western Hemisphere of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on ‘X’. “The United States reconfirmed their support for the territorial integrity of Guyana and the arbitration ruling of 1899,” the US government said.
The Venezuelan ship has since left the area.
