Maduro ordered “defensive action” in the Atlantic in response to the arrival of a British warship in Guyana.

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro This Thursday he ordered defensive action Atlantic Ocean In response to the arrival of a British frigate on the coast GuyanaThis has again fueled tensions between the South American countries, which maintain a territorial dispute.

“I have ordered the execution of the collective action of Full Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) in the Eastern Caribbean of VenezuelaOn the Atlantic front, a Joint defensive action “In response to the provocation and threat of the United Kingdom against the peace and sovereignty of our country,” the President said.

The announcement was made in front of the army chief during a meeting broadcast on mandatory basis on radio and television, in which he interacted with a group of army personnel who had undertaken the “first phase” of the operation. A Deployment over land and water of Sucre (North East) State.

Maduro did not give details on the scope and duration of the move, but insisted that the arrival of the British HMS Trent was an “unacceptable threat” and a “disruption” of the agreements he had signed with his Guyanese counterpart, Irfan Ali. On 14 December, they promised not to threaten each other and avoid incidents related to disputes.

“Venezuela cannot stand idly by in the face of the threat. We respond proportionately“, he promised after pledging diplomacy and peace, and criticizing Guyana for ignoring Venezuelan demands not to accept the arrival of a British ship to its shores.

A few minutes ago, the Venezuelan regime condemned this fact in a statement, in which It called on Guyana to “take immediate steps to remove the vessel and refrain from further involvement of military powers in the dispute”.. According to Chavismo, the presence of the warship is “very serious” because it coincides with statements from the United Kingdom, which they see as a “spoiler” of the disputed territory, since Guyana was a British colony. 1966.

“These reports are equally synchronized with the actions of the US Southern Command, which is clear A direct threat to peace and stability in the region” says the writing. Also, he warned the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (SELAC), which facilitated the December 14 meeting with Irfan Ali in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, that these actions were “contrary to the truth. Peace and Understanding” agreed.

The controversy escalated after Venezuela approved the annexation in a unilateral vote on December 3. Essequibo, a nearly 160,000 square kilometer oil- and mineral-rich territory controlled by Guyana and whose dispute is in the hands of the International Court of Justice. Based on that vote, the Maduro regime ordered the deployment of a military unit near the disputed area. Proceedings in suspense Promoted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after the San Vicentina meeting.

A spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense confirmed this last Thursday HMS Trent, a British ship stationed in the Caribbean to fight drug trafficking, was reassigned after Venezuela threatened to annex the territory, which it has not controlled since 1899.. “HMS Trent will meet with our regional allies and Commonwealth Guyana partners later this month as part of her continued engagement in the region during her Atlantic patrol deployment,” the spokesperson said.

David Rutley, the British secretary of state for the Americas and the Caribbean, expressed “unequivocal” support for the country in Guyana last week in its territorial dispute with Venezuela. On the same day, Maduro reiterated his intention to “completely recover” Essequibo.

Venezuela's Chavista regime also reported on December 18 Implementation of business units for oil development in EssequiboIt has been self-administered by Guyana since 1966.

Territorial waters of that region Large reserves of oil and natural gas, The Stabroek Block, discovered by ExxonMobil in 2015, is highly concentrated. These reserves, estimated at around 11 billion barrels of oil, have led Guyana to become the country with the highest economic growth in the world (57.8% in 2022).

(with information from EFE)