WAR Brazilian Army on High Alert Amid Potential Venezuelan Invasion of Guyana

jward

jward

passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3

"It is a message from beyond," says Maduro about helicopter accident in Guyana

Caracas (AFP) – The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, affirmed this Friday that the fall of a helicopter in Guyana, which left five soldiers dead, was "a message from beyond" in the midst of a dispute between both countries over the Essequibo, a territory rich in oil.
france24.com

"Es un mensaje del más allá", dice Maduro sobre accidente de helicóptero en Guyana

El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, afirmó este viernes que la caída de un helicóptero en Guyana, que dejó cinco militares muertos, fue "un mensaje del más allá" en medio de una disputa que mantienen…
france24.com france24.com

9:18 PM · Dec 8, 2023
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Views
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
npr.org
Venezuela says it's moving ahead with plans to take over territory in Guyana
NPR​


The international community, including the U.S., are taking Venezuela's threat to annex neighboring Guyana seriously. But Guyanese are standing firm.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Venezuela claims to be moving ahead with plans to take over a huge oil-rich territory in neighboring Guyana. The threats have drawn international concern. The U.S. announced joint military flight drills there. Brazil is reinforcing its northern border. And the U.N. Security Council is meeting about it today. John Otis reports.

JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: For more than a century, Venezuela and its much smaller neighbor, Guyana, have bickered over where their borders should lie. At stake is a jungle region called Essequibo that makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory.

(SOUNDBITE OF HELICOPTER FLYING)

OTIS: To reassert Guyana's claim to this land, President Irfaan Ali, along with Guyanese military officers, recently toured in a helicopter. Then they raised their country's red, gold and green flag, to which they pledged allegiance.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: I pledge myself to always...

OTIS: The dispute over Essequibo was resolved in Guyana's favor by an international tribunal in 1899, but Venezuela rejected the decision. And ever since huge offshore oil deposits were discovered in Guyana in 2015, Venezuela has pressed its claim to the territory. The matter is now before the U.N.'s International Court of Justice. However, Venezuela rejects the court's jurisdiction, and last Sunday, it went ahead with a referendum in which voters approved a plan to annex Essequibo.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: Citing the results, Nicolas Maduro Venezuela's authoritarian leader, went on TV to propose a law making Essequibo the nation's 24th state.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MADURO: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: Then Maduro unveiled an official map with Essequibo now affixed to Venezuela. Finally, he said, foreign oil companies in Essequibo have three months to get out so that Venezuela's state oil company can move in.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MADURO: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: "Guyana had better realize that by hook or by crook, we're going to settle this," Maduro warned. However, all of this may be just political theater. Maduro is deeply unpopular at home. Many Venezuela watchers say his bellicose statements are designed to drum up nationalist fervor ahead of his bid to win another term in the country's presidential election next year. But Mark Kirton, a political analyst in Georgetown, Guyana's capital, doesn't rule out some kind of military intervention by Venezuela.

MARK KIRTON: When governments are at its lowest, they become unpredictable. There's a concern because we see this nationally as an existential threat.

OTIS: Over the years, there have been border skirmishes. And shortly after Guyana gained independence from Great Britain in 1966, Venezuelan troops took over Guyana's half of an island on a jungle river that the two countries shared. Relations used to be better. Before striking oil, Guyana received low-cost petroleum from Venezuela. Over the past decade, as Venezuela's democracy and economy have crumbled, nearly 30,000 Venezuelans have migrated to Guyana.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GERRY GOUVEIA: We are extending a hand of love and friendship to the people who are coming to Guyana. They are in our hospitals and our schools, and we are working together as brothers and sisters.

OTIS: That's Gerry Gouveia, Guyana's national security adviser, in a TV interview. He said that threatening to swallow up most of Guyana is no way to repay his country for its hospitality.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GOUVEIA: The Venezuelan government is being very aggressive. They are behaving like a neighborhood bully.

OTIS: As the conflict escalates, a patriotic song from the 1970s has become the soundtrack for Guyana's fight to defend its territory. It's called "Not A Blade Of Grass."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NOT A BLADE OF GRASS")

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS: (Singing) Not a blade of grass.

OTIS: For NPR News, I'm John Otis.

Copyright © 2023 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Caribbean-political-map.jpg





CaribbeanMap_EPThinkTank.png
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
okie-carbine said:
Well what are we supposed to be doing?
Click to expand...

Besides US troops currently on the ground in Guyana for "joint training" look for reports of military aircraft activity at airfields in Puerto Rico and increased activity on the part of the ANG of states in the Southeastern US.
 
N

night driver

ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
This tastes VERY much like something that an even WEAK Monroe Doctrine Admenstruation would see as a Causus Belum.......

GAWD knows where the Dog faced Pony Soldier sees this. LIKELY as some kind of phantasy due to his daily intake of various rec chems (as supplied by his string haulers).
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
night driver said:
This tastes VERY much like something that an even WEAK Monroe Doctrine Admenstruation would see as a Causus Belum.......

GAWD knows where the Dog faced Pony Soldier sees this. LIKELY as some kind of phantasy due to his daily intake of various rec chems (as supplied by his string haulers).
Click to expand...

Yeah, you'd think so.......
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Anyone else thinking "Sudetenland"?........

Posted for fair use......
www.voanews.com

Leaders of Guyana, Venezuela Set to Meet Amid Border Dispute

The two countries have a century-old territorial dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo region
www.voanews.com www.voanews.com

Leaders of Guyana, Venezuela Set to Meet Amid Border Dispute​


December 11, 2023 6:51 PM
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will meet Thursday with his Guyanese counterpart Mohamed Irfaan Ali amid growing tensions over the jurisdiction of the oil-rich Essequibo region.

The meeting, set to take place on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, was announced following Maduro’s talks with prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States or CELAC, Ralph Gonsalves, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday.

Ali, who agreed to the meeting despite his parliament unanimously telling him not to, said that "Guyana's land boundary is not up for discussion."

Disputes over the Essequibo region are longstanding, though the recent discovery of offshore oil and gas has caused tensions on the issue to flare.

Earlier this month, Venezuela held a referendum in which voters rejected the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction over the region and supported the creation of a new Venezuelan state.

Ali has stated that he will use this meeting not to hold negotiations, but rather to insist that the case be heard by the ICJ as originally planned.

Several South American countries released a joint statement in support of dialogue between the two countries, as well as Gonsalves, the head of CELAC, who said there is "the urgent need to de-escalate the conflict and institute an appropriate dialogue."

The United States, which earlier held joint flight drills with Guyana, has maintained its position of support for the country.

"We reaffirm the United States' unwavering support for Guyana's sovereignty," the press office of the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia said.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane

Venezuela And Guyana Pledge Not To Use Force In Territorial Dispute | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com

Venezuela And Guyana Pledge Not To Use Force In Territorial Dispute​


BY TYLER DURDEN
FRIDAY, DEC 15, 2023 - 07:00 PM
By Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com
Venezuela and Guyana agreed to avoid the use of force as they tried to settle a century-old territorial dispute that recently saw Venezuela threaten Guyana with annexing two-thirds of its territory.

The presidents of Venezuela and Guyana met for talks at a Caribbean island and declared they "will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances," France 24 reported.




The two failed, however, to reach an agreement on jurisdiction over the dispute. Guyana upholds the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, which ruled in its favor regarding the ownership of the disputed Essequibo area. Venezuela has refused to accept the ruling and does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ over the issue.

The dispute between the two neighbors dates back to the late 19th century when an arbitration court gave control of the territory to Guyana. The dispute flared up as the U.S. lifted oil sanctions on Caracas temporarily in a bid to increase the supply of heavy crude for Gulf Coast refineries.

Venezuela held a referendum in early December regarding its claim of sovereignty over Essequibo and the majority voted in favor. This sparked worry about a possible invasion and indeed Venezuelan troops were amassed by the border with Guyana. Urgent diplomatic efforts followed, leading to the Thursday talks between the heads of state.

Meanwhile, however, Venezuela is looking to revive an offshore natural gas field close to the maritime border with Guyana amid an escalating territorial dispute after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a referendum to claim two-thirds of Guyana's territory. Observers have also argued that it is the oil and gas riches of the Essequibo region that the Maduro government is zeroing in on.

Maduro and Guyana’s Irfaan Ali agreed to meet again in three months, this time in Brazil, to renew their talks on the disputed region.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
bbc.com
Guyana: UK to send warship to South America amid Venezuela tensions
By James Landale


24th December 2023, 12:01 CST

By James LandaleDiplomatic correspondent​

Getty Images HMS TrentGetty Images
HMS Trent, an offshore patrol vessel, will take part in exercises off the coast of Guyana

The UK is preparing to send a warship to Guyana in a show of diplomatic and military support for the former British colony, the BBC has learned.

It comes after neighbouring Venezuela renewed its claim for a disputed part of Guyanese territory that is rich in oil and minerals.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed HMS Trent would take part in joint exercises after Christmas.

Guyana, a Commonwealth member, is South America's only English-speaking nation.

HMS Trent - an offshore patrol vessel - had been deployed to the Caribbean to search for drug smugglers but was re-tasked after Venezuela's government threatened to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana earlier this month.

This raised fears that Venezuela might invade and spark the first interstate war in South America since the Falklands Conflict in 1982.

Venezuela has long claimed ownership of Essequibo, a 61,000 square mile region which comprises about two-thirds of Guyana.

Its hills and jungles are rich in gold, diamonds and bauxite, while huge oil deposits have been found off its coast.

Map of contested region of Essequibo

While Guyana's economy is growing fast, Venezuela's is suffering.

Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela, staged a referendum on 3 December to assert popular support for his country's claim to Essequibo.

The result was widely challenged and disputed but he nonetheless published new maps and legislation showing Essequibo as part of Venezuela, named a new governor and offered identity cards to those living in the sparsely populated region.

He has also ordered the state oil company to issue extraction licences.

Mr Maduro has subsequently met Guyana's President, Irfaan Ali, and agreed not to use force, but he has maintained his territorial claim and both sides are still at odds over how the border dispute could be settled legally.

This week the Lloyd's insurance market in London added Guyana to its list of riskiest shipping zones.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC: "HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment."

Brazil deploys troops to Venezuela border
Venezuela accuses opposition politicians of treason over Essequibo
Essequibo dispute: Venezuela and Guyana agree not to use force

HMS Trent has a crew of 65, a top speed of 24 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

It is armed with 30mm canon and a contingent of Royal Marines. It can also deploy Merlin helicopters and unmanned aircraft.

HMS Trent left its home port of Gibraltar in early December and is currently alongside in Bridgetown, Barbados for Christmas.

The warship is expected to anchor off the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, and conduct visits, joint activities and training with the country's navy and other allies. It cannot go alongside because the port is too shallow.

The vessel is mainly used for tackling piracy and smuggling, protecting fisheries, counterterrorism, providing humanitarian aid, and search and rescue operations, but the Royal Navy says it is also designed for border patrols and defence diplomacy.

The decision to send HMS Trent to Guyana is part of a growing UK effort to show international diplomatic support for Guyana.

AFP Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (right) with the President of Guyana, Irfaan AliAFP
Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana (left), and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have agreed not to use force but tensions remain

This week the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the UK would "continue to work with partners in the region to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld and prevent escalation".

David Rutley, the Foreign Office Minister for the Americas, visited Georgetown on 18 December, the first G7 representative to do so since Venezuela renewed its claim.

He promised Guyana the UK's "unequivocal backing" and welcomed Venezuela's promise to avoid using force.

Mr Rutley continued: "The border issue has been settled for over 120 years. Sovereign borders must be respected wherever they are in the world.

"The UK will continue to work with partners in the region, as well as through international bodies, to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld."

Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, criticised the visit, accusing the UK of destabilising the region.

In a post on X - formerly Twitter - he said: "The former invading and enslaving empire, which illegally occupied the territory of Guayana Esequiba and acted in a skilful and sneaky manner against the interests of Venezuela, insists on intervening in a territorial controversy that they themselves generated."

Venezuela disputes the border which was established under an international agreement in 1899.

Guyana was formerly known as British Guiana before it secured its independence in 1966.
www.bbc.com

Guyana: UK to send warship to South America amid Venezuela tensions

HMS Trent will visit South America as a show of support for the former British colony, the BBC learns.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
J

Jeep

Veteran Member
Couple of weeks ago I was on 17M and made contact with a Ham in Boa Vista, Brazil. This is in northern Brazil close to Guyana and Venezuela and he told me that Brazilian troops were brought in and stationed in the area as a protective measure if things get bad and Venezuela comes into Brazil to invade Guyana. The troops are there he said to protect Brazilian citizens because the government doesn't trust Maduro and make sure Venezuela stays on their side of the fence so to speak.
 
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Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane

Venezuela Launches 5,000+ Troop Exercise In Response To UK Warship's Approach | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com

Venezuela Launches 5,000+ Troop Exercise In Response To UK Warship's Approach​


BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, DEC 28, 2023 - 05:20 PM
Just on the heels of the recent panic over the risk of a Venezuela invasion of its neighbor Guyana, fears which finally subsided over a week ago upon a mutual pact pledging that both would avoid direct conflict, the UK sent a warship to patrol off Venezuela's coast.

Britain previously said it would dispatch the HMS Trent near Guyana by December's end as a significant show of support for the government in Guyana’s capital Georgetown, on concerns Nicolás Maduro would make moves to claim the vast, mineral-rich Essequibo region, which borders his country but has been part of Guyana - a member of the British Commonwealth and the only English-speaking nation in South America - for more than a century.

A December 14 report in The Guardian suggested tensions were cooling fast: "The leaders of Guyana and Venezuela promised in a tense meeting that neither side would use threats or force against the other, but failed to reach agreement on how to address a bitter dispute over a vast border region rich with oil and minerals that has concerned many in the region," the publication said at the time. But on Thursday's there's been a new shocking development reversing this hoped-for state of 'cooler heads prevailing' and which raises the potential for the UK and Venezuela to directly clash in Caribbean waters.

HMS Trent, UK Navy
AFP reports breaking statements from Maduro's office as follows:

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday ordered more than 5,600 military personnel to participate in a "defensive" exercise, after Britain said it was sending a Royal Navy warship to waters off neighboring Guyana.
Maduro said he was launching "a joint action of a defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the United Kingdom against peace and the sovereignty of our country."
Click to expand...
Prior to the current standoff the HMS Trent had reportedly monitored the Caribbean in search of drug smugglers as a military offshore patrol vessel. It is armed with heavy guns and typically carries a unit of Royal Marines and a combat helicopter.

The vessel has been confirmed now in regional waters:

HMS Trent was reported to have made a stop in Bridgetown, Barbados, after leaving its homeport at Gibraltar earlier this month. The vessel is scheduled to head towards Guyana this week and anchor off Georgetown to participate in a series of training exercises with the country’s navy and other allies, the BBC reported.
Click to expand...
Venezuelan presidency press office handout showing Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.


The border dispute has been a source of tension and disagreements going all the way back to the 19th century, but Maduro recently sponsored a referendum on whether his government should use force to finally resolve it. He then provocatively announced that 95% of Venezuelan citizens voted in favor of a forced annexation. This drew quick condemnation from Caracas' longtime enemies the US and Britain.

On Wednesday Venezuelan forces were placed on a 'high state of alert' following the reports of the British warship moving toward the coast.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López issued a blistering warning on X in response to HMS Trent's presence. "A warship in waters yet to be demarcated?" he said.

Source: Financial Times
"How does that fit with the commitment to good neighborliness and peaceful coexistence? And the agreement not to threaten or use force against each other under any circumstances? We remain alert to these provocations that put the peace and stability of the Caribbean and our America at risk!" he warned, saying that the prior agreement with Guyana's leader Irfaan Ali about use of force has been called into question.
 
Bubble Head

Bubble Head

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Housecarl said:
I have to wonder how much mischief the boys in the City of London can make of Venezuela's already bad economy if they choose to go this stupid?
Click to expand...
A lot. Venezuela sits on the edge of a cliff. Madero could be nudged over. Since it appears to be the staging ground for caravans of illegals heading north our CIA could be helpful instead of watching PTA meetings here in the States. We could give London a hand.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Iran Observer
@IranObserver0

⚡️BREAKING

Iranian weapons have been deployed in Venezuela

The Venezuelan army has deployed Zolfaghar speedboats equipped with anti-ship missiles to deter a British Navy warship

The Venezuelan Armed Forces are the first Latin American armed forces to have armed drones in their inventory, and they have built a drone factory with Iranian help.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1741195592104108317
View: https://twitter.com/IranObserver0/status/1741195592104108317?s=20
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
apnews.com

The US is increasing its urgent military aid to Guyana as neighboring Venezuela's threats linger

Officials say the U.S. government is increasing its urgent military assistance to Guyana as neighboring Venezuela threatens to seize a large part of the country's territory it has long claimed.
apnews.com apnews.com


The US is increasing its urgent military aid to Guyana as neighboring Venezuela’s threats linger​

BY BERT WILKINSON
Updated 12:18 PM EST, February 5, 2024
Share
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The U.S. government is increasing its urgent military assistance to Guyana, officials said Monday, as neighboring Venezuela threatens to seize a large part of the country’s territory it has long claimed.

The U.S. is pledging to help Guyana buy new aircraft, helicopters, a fleet of military drones and, for the first time, radar technology. The details were not immediately clear, and Guyanese officials declined to say how much they expect to pay.

Confirmation of the plan came a day after the U.S. deputy national security advisor, Jon Finer, and Western Hemisphere senior director Juan González met with authorities in Guyana about improving defense capabilities.

Their visit was the latest engagement by top defense and administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on improving Guyana’s ability to defend itself from external threats.


“That cooperation is fundamentally defensive in nature and grounded in our desire for Guyana to be able to defend its territorial integrity against any possible threats,” Finer told reporters late Sunday.


He added that “we do not think that it is appropriate for countries to make threats or to contemplate publicly the use of force against another country.” It was a veiled reference to Venezuela, which amassed a small number of troops along its eastern border late last year and threatened to annex Guyana’s mineral-rich Essequibo region after holding a referendum to approve the annexation.

Tensions between the countries have cooled following talks mediated by Brazil and Caribbean leaders in December. A second round of talks involving foreign ministers was held in Brazil in late January to prepare for an upcoming summit between Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

At the height of tensions, the U.S. military assisted Guyana with overflight surveillance flights, and military advisers were present to help the Guyanese military, which is poorly equipped and has fewer than 5,000 troops for a country of some 800,000 people.

Guyana’s president has said his administration would soon buy a fleet of at least four U.S. helicopters along with drones, fixed-wing planes and other equipment.

Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Omar Khan told The Associated Press on Monday that officials also would buy radar systems to improve air and sea domain awareness and capabilities.

“Like institutions, a capability cannot be bought. It has to be built,” he said.
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane

Venezuela Deploys Tanks, Armored Carriers To Guyana Border | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com

Venezuela Deploys Tanks, Armored Carriers To Guyana Border​


BY TYLER DURDEN
FRIDAY, FEB 09, 2024 - 11:16 AM
After constant jawboning for over two months, Venezuela is now backing up its threats to annex part of oil-rich Guyana and secure access to some of the world’s largest oil deposits by "moving light tanks, missile-equipped patrol boats and armored carriers to the two countries’ border", the WSJ reported noting that this is set to rapidly turn into a new security headache for the administration of the now officially senile US president.


The deployment, which was visible in satellite images made public Friday and in videos recently posted by Venezuela’s military on social media, is a "major escalation" in Caracas’s attempts to obtain some leverage over its neighbor’s newfound energy reserves, even though any military confrontation will result in an international response that promptly ousts Maduro. It comes despite a written agreement reached in December between the Venezuelan dictator and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali that denounced the use of force and called for a commission to address territorial disputes.


According to the WSJ, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, using satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies and shared exclusively with the Journal, found that in late 2023 and January Venezuela moved armored vehicles and what appear to be light tanks to Anacoco Island on the Cuyuni River just yards from Guyana. Construction work is also taking place, signaling the expansion of a base there.



In Venezuela’s Atlantic port of Güiria, the country deployed between
Jan. 18 and Jan. 22 at least three Iranian-made Peykaap III antiship guided-missile patrol boats, as is visible in the satellite images used by CSIS, the Washington think tank. The regime’s military set up two Russian-built Buk M2E antiaircraft systems in Güiria on Jan. 31, almost 400 miles east of their usual position near Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. And a small coast-guard post in Punta Barima, 50 miles from Guyana-controlled Essequibo, is being revamped into a naval and air base.

Those deployments are within easy reach of the Stabroek oil block run by Exxon and its partners, Chevron
and China’s Cnooc, off the coast of Guyana, where production has soared to 645,000 barrels of crude a day, not far off what Venezuela produces.

The deployment and increasingly bellicose language from Caracas has come as Guyana emerges as one of the world’s hottest energy frontiers following offshore oil discoveries by an Exxon Mobil-led consortium. The former British colony, population 800,000, has a defense force of only 3,000 service members, pushing the government to work more closely with the U.S. to enhance its defensive capabilities.

Confirmation of the military deployment comes one day after Venezuela said it would respond in a “forceful” way to Exxon’s plans to drill in the disputed Essequibo region off the coast of Guyana.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said that Exxon’s plan to drill exploration wells in the region will be met with a “proportional, forceful and rightful response,” according to a post on social-media platform X. Padrino said the area is a “maritime space that rightfully belongs to Venezuela.”

The oil giant said it will drill new wells west of the Liza discovery and close to Venezuelan territorial waters, Exxon Guyana President Alistair Routledge told Demerara Waves. The dispute is “not inhibiting that activity in our plans,” he said.

A Venezuelan frigate with the inscription ‘Essequibo is ours’ conducting military exercises in disputed waters in December
Padrino responded that “If ExxonMobil has a private security company represented by the Southern Command and a small branch in the government of Guyana, good for them, but in the maritime space that rightfully belongs to Venezuela, they will receive a proportional, forceful and rightful response." Well, Exxon may not have a security company now, but it has billions of dollars more than Venezuela does and if it has to hire a mercenary army to defeat the banana republic's advances, it can easily do so.

Since late last year, the Venezuelan government, which has an army of up to 150,000 active soldiers has ratcheted up claims to the Essequibo, a mostly jungle-covered region that makes up two-thirds of Guyana.

“We are not surprised by the bad faith of Venezuela,” Guyana’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal in response to questions about the military deployment. “We are disappointed, not surprised.”

What is amusing is that the war-footing comes just as the senile occupant of the White House has been making overtures to Venezuela's dictator in hopes that Maduro will flood the US with cheap oil, thus keeping gas prices low ahead of the elections, which has fast emerged as Biden's only chance of winning; needless to say, should oil prices spike, Biden is done. It gets even funnier though, because while on one hand Maduro has been maintaining a dialog with the US due to his leverage over Biden, at the same time, the country has said it is boosting its defenses in response to the U.S. military’s exercises in Guyana in December and the U.K.’s deployment of a small antinarcotics vessel, the HMS Trent, in Guyanese waters.

In recent months, U.S. officials from the Defense Department and White House have visited Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, for talks on increasing cooperation. President Ali said his government would soon purchase American helicopters, drones and other defense equipment.

“Supporting Guyana to strengthen its defensive capability as it continues to bring enormous oil windfall on the market is something we have a direct interest in,” Juan Gonzalez, a senior Biden adviser, told reporters in Colombia on Monday, a day after meeting Guyana’s president in Georgetown. “We certainly don’t want to escalate tensions, but we have our own strategic relationship with Guyana.”

Guyanese soldiers participated in joint military exercises with U.S. Southern Command troops at Camp Stephenson in Guyana last year
Then again, Biden's dementia is so bad - as the entire world saw in the past 24 hours - it wouldn't surprise us if the US president is so confused he sends US troops to help his BFF Maduro to run over Guayana if it means oil will be a few cents cheaper come November.

Joking aside, the stock of the largest US E&P company is tumbling because the market is starting to price in legitimate odds of a war as it thinks Biden has become such a laughingstock that Venezuela may actually invade Guyana despite Biden's demand to the contrary.

(Tweets at the link.)
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
NEXT WAR? VENEZUELA DECLARES GUYANA LAND AS NEW “STATE”

Venezuelan has declared the oil-rich land in between their country and Guyana a new “state” - defying an ICJ ruling against such actions.

Guyana insists it won’t give up the region without a fight, and reportedly stands ready to defend its borders…. with help from the West.

Is yet another war brewing that the US will be forced into?

Source: Reuters
 
O

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
jward said:
Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
NEXT WAR? VENEZUELA DECLARES GUYANA LAND AS NEW “STATE”

Venezuelan has declared the oil-rich land in between their country and Guyana a new “state” - defying an ICJ ruling against such actions.

Guyana insists it won’t give up the region without a fight, and reportedly stands ready to defend its borders…. with help from the West.

Is yet another war brewing that the US will be forced into?

Source: Reuters
Click to expand...
Rules, like treaties, have no effect, if not enforced. We, the United States, long ago became a paper tiger. We never have had a logical, enforceable, foreign policy. Without brains and brawn, the Crack House lets all manner of terrorists and crooks have their way. Those days are long, long, gone…

OA
 
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