GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana’s President, in a public address on Saturday, denounced a recent incursion by an armed Venezuelan naval vessel into disputed maritime waters, where ExxonMobil is currently developing a significant offshore oil deposit.
President Irfaan Ali emphasized the gravity of the situation, underscoring the importance of international law in recognizing Guyana’s maritime boundaries. Guyana has promptly informed its global allies, including the United States, and formally lodged a protest with Venezuela through its ambassador in Georgetown.
Ali declared, “This incursion is a matter of grave concern. 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.”
Amidst recent tightening of sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime by the U.S., the Trump administration backed Ali’s statements, with the U.S. State Department warning of consequences for further provocations by the Maduro government.
Ali reported that the Venezuelan naval ship navigated near vessels involved in oil production in the Stabroek Block, where ExxonMobil partners with Hess Corp and CNOOC of China. The oil fields in this region hold an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil, and the area is bustling with drill ships, seismic vessels, and various support ships in operation.
The incursion follows an incident two weeks prior where suspected Venezuelan pirates in the Cuyuni River exchanged gunfire with a Guyanese patrol, resulting in injuries to six soldiers, two of whom were seriously wounded.
The discovery by ExxonMobil in 2015 reignited a long-standing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, with the latter seeking to annex the Essequibo region. This area, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, is contested by Venezuela due to claims of unfair boundary demarcations established by a commission in the 1890s. These territories were under British administration for over a century before coming under Guyanese control when Guyana gained independence in 1966.
