Guyana’s Leader Condemns Venezuelan Offshore Oil Move

In a televised statement, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali expressed strong disapproval over the entry of an armed Venezuelan naval vessel into disputed waters, an area notable for its vast offshore oil reserves currently being developed by ExxonMobil. President Ali announced that Guyana was swiftly alerting international allies, including the U.S. government, and had called in Venezuela’s ambassador in Georgetown to file a formal complaint.

“This incursion is a matter of grave concern,” Ali remarked. “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.”

The U.S. State Department supported Ali’s concerns, warning on the social media platform X that further provocation could lead to repercussions for the Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro.

Ali also mentioned that the Venezuelan vessel sailed in proximity to several large storage vessels utilized for the oil operations conducted by Exxon, along with its partners Hess Corporation and CNOOC of China, within the prime Stabroek Block which holds an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. A significant number of aircraft and marine vessels, backing numerous drilling and seismic operations, have been deployed to bolster activities within the block.

The incident emerged just two weeks following a skirmish on the border Cuyuni River, where suspected Venezuelan pirates engaged in a gunfight with a Guyanese military patrol, leading to injuries among six soldiers, two severely.

Since ExxonMobil’s significant oil discovery in Guyana in 2015, Venezuela has revived a longstanding territorial dispute with Guyana, aiming to annex the Essequibo region, which constitutes about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. The two countries have long-standing disagreements over land and maritime boundaries, with claims that a boundaries commission from the 1890s deprived Venezuela of the oil-rich area, which was under British administration for more than a century and has been under Guyanese control since its independence in 1966.