After the arrival of a British warship in Guyana, the Venezuelan president announced military exercises of his armed forces not far from the coast of Essequibo, a territory located in Guyana, claimed by Caracas.
In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro asked the Guyanese government to cancel the visit of a British patrol boat. This warship of the United Kingdom Navy will participate in military exercises near the coast of Guyana, a former British colony.
For Caracas, this measure is “an act of hostile provocation and a violation of the Argyle Accord,” a document, which was signed on December 14, 2023 between Guyana and Venezuela to maintain peace between the two countries.
“Venezuela has respected the Argyle agreements, but it cannot remain inactive in the face of a threat”declared Mr. Maduro in a room where he was accompanied by a dozen military commanders.
Venezuela and Guyana are currently embroiled in a border dispute over the Essequibo, a sparsely populated region the size of Florida that has vast oil deposits off its coast.
The region has been under Guyana’s control for decades, but in December Venezuela revived its historic claim to Essequibo through a referendum in which it asked the country’s voters whether Essequibo should be transformed into a Venezuelan state.
6,000 soldiers mobilized
Nicolas Maduro said 6,000 Venezuelan troops, including air and naval forces, would carry out joint operations off the country’s eastern coast near the border with Guyana.
The military exercises of the Venezuelan armed forces will take place near the coast of Essequibo, the territory claimed by Caracas, currently located in Guyana. According to the military hierarchy, the personnel are already ready for the operation.
Amid escalating tensions in the region, the leaders of the two countries met on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent on December 14 and signed an agreement stipulating that they would resolve their dispute through non-violent means.
During the discussions, however, the President of Guyana, Irfan Ali, declared that his country reserved the right to work with its partners to ensure the defense of his country.
The arrival of the patrol boat is not known
Guyanese authorities on Thursday described the HMS Trent visit as a planned activity aimed at improving the country’s defense capabilities and said the ship’s visit would continue as planned.
“Nothing we are doing or have done threatens Venezuela,” Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters in Georgetown, the country’s capital.
HMS Trent is a patrol and rescue vessel which has recently been used to intercept drug traffickers off the west coast of Africa. It can accommodate up to 30 sailors and a contingent of 18 marines, and is equipped with 30mm cannons and a landing platform for helicopters and drones.
The ship had been sent to Barbados in early December to intercept drug traffickers, but its mission was changed on December 24, when it was sent to Guyana.
Authorities have not specified when it is expected to arrive on Guyanese shores.
The UK Ministry of Defense said the ship would conduct joint operations with the Guyana Defense Force.
This nation of 800,000 people has a small army of 3,000 soldiers, 200 sailors and four small patrol boats known as Barracudas.