Escalating Tensions: Guyana Mobilizes Military Assets Amid Venezuelan Incursion

On Saturday, Guyana found itself in a tense situation as its military assets were mobilized following reports of a Venezuelan navy incursion into its territorial waters. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali addressed the nation live, revealing that a Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol ship had entered Exxon’s Stabroek Block lease area, situated off the Atlantic coast of Guyana. The patrol ship reportedly approached oil production facilities, including ExxonMobil’s FPSO Prosperity.

Despite the Venezuelan government’s denial of any wrongdoing, claiming their patrol ship was operating in “disputed international waters,” Guyana took swift action. President Ali summoned the Venezuelan ambassador to lodge a formal protest and deployed air patrol and coast guard assets to enhance surveillance of its territorial waters.

President Ali emphasized, “Guyana’s maritime boundaries are recognized under international law, and this incursion is a matter of grave concern. We will remain in close contact with our partners in protecting Guyana’s interests.”

International Support and Territorial Dispute

The US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs stood in solidarity with Guyana, condemning the Venezuelan naval vessels’ actions as an unacceptable violation of Guyana’s maritime territory. The Bureau warned of consequences for the Maduro regime if further provocations occur.

The longstanding territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Guyana initiated the case in 2018, seeking a final judgment on its internationally recognized boundary.

Venezuela lays claim to the oil-rich Essequibo Region, which is under Guyana’s control and constitutes nearly 70 percent of the country’s national territory. Despite an ICJ order issued in December 2023 prohibiting Venezuela from interfering in Essequibo’s governance until a final judgment is reached, President Maduro announced gubernatorial elections in the region earlier this year, defying the court’s directive.

The heightened tensions between Guyana and Venezuela escalated in 2015 when ExxonMobil discovered commercially viable oil reservoirs offshore from the disputed Essequibo Region.

Geopolitical Ramifications

ExxonMobil, an American company, plays a significant role in the escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States. The Trump administration recently announced the termination of a partial license for Venezuelan oil exports to the US Gulf Coast, severing one of the Maduro regime’s key sources of foreign currency.