Venezuela’s military says Guyana has no right to exploit oil, gas in Stabroek Block; international community says it’s Guyana’s waters

Last Updated on Sunday, 2 March 2025, 23:24 by Writer

– Shipping Association of Guyana says incident posed “direct threat” to maritime, oil and gas sectors

Despite international condemnation of Venezuela’s military incursion to Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Venezuelan Army on Sunday said Guyana had no right to allow the exploitation of oil and gas in that area because it is its western neighbour’s sovereign territory.

Defence Minister, General in Chief Vladimir Padrino López said Venezuela’s Armed Forces on Saturday exercised its constitutional functions of “guaranteeing national sovereignty and security in aquatic spaces” by a transit carried out by the oceanic patrol vessel, ABV Guaiquerí (PO11), in waters pending delimitation, within the framework of the controversy over the territory of Essequibo.

Reacting to Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali’s condemnation of the incident, which lasted from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and entailed contact with the oil production and storage vessel, Prosperity, and other vessels operating on behalf of ExxonMobil, the Defence Chief said its satellite imagery shows that 28 foreign drilling vessels and tankers that, with the consent of the Guyanese government and in flagrant violation of international law, are carrying out hydrocarbon exploitation and commercialization activities in the disputed area.

The United States (US) State Department on Saturday warned Venezuela of unspecified “consequences” should the oil production vessels be subjected to further provocation.

The Venezuelan Armed Forces on Sunday also countered that it was ready to take action to protect what it termed its territory, contending that that Spanish-speaking nation was being attacked by North American imperialism such as ExxonMobil and covert groups operating in Venezuela. “Faced with these incessant attacks, the armed institution, faithful to its anti-imperialist nature, prepares itself in perfect popular military-police fusion, to respond to any threat and preserve the territorial integrity and peace of the Republic,” the Venezuelan army said.

The Venezuelan Army did not respond directly to the US’ warning or the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) call for an end to the “acts of aggression and provocation” against Guyana. CARICOM also recognised the location of the FPSO platforms as being part of “Guyana’s waters”. However, the Venezuelan military signaled very strongly that it rejected CARICOM’s statement. “The FANB (Bolivarian National Armed Forces) rejects the biased and partial positions assumed by some regional organizations, which, far from contributing to the solution of the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, constitute themselves prophets of disaster by promoting hostility and warlike policies.

The FANB echoed the Venezuelan government’s misinterpretation of the 1966 Geneva Agreement to argue that that accord provides for a bilateral negotiated settlement of the controversy over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, even as it maintained that the 160,000 square kilometre Essequibo Region is its territory. “Guyana has no legal basis or legitimacy to unilaterally dispose of a space where it cannot exercise sovereignty or jurisdiction,” the FANB said.

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, David Lammy deemed Saturday’s violation of Guyana’s maritime territory “a provocative act.” “The UK is steadfast in its support for Guyana’s internationally recognised territorial integrity and urges Venezuela to refrain from such actions,” he posted on X.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland condemned the presence of the Venezuelan military patrol vessel in Guyana’s waters. She said this recent action by Venezuela runs counter to the spirit of the Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela, signed on 14 December 2023, where both states agreed to use international law and diplomatic means to address the controversy and to refrain from escalating the conflict. “The Commonwealth Secretary-General has condemned this action in the strongest possible terms and urged the international community and the Commonwealth family to continue to support Guyana. The Secretary-General also praised Guyana’s response, saying that it “exhibited restraint and responsibility by engaging in diplomatic actions to address the crisis.”