Venezuela denounces that Guyana gave the green light to US Southern Command to operate in Esquibo

(CNN in Spanish) — The government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela on Wednesday condemned recent statements by his Guyanese counterpart Mohamed Irfaan Ali, warning that he had “irresponsibly” given the green light to the presence of the United States Southern Command in the disputed Guyana region. Esquipa.

Through his statement

“The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is recklessly attacking international law, carrying out actions that exacerbate the regional dispute and increasing its illegal behavior of granting oil exploitation rights to ExxonMobil offshore pending the demarcation of the border with Venezuela,” the text reads.

The Venezuelan President announced, on Tuesday, that he will grant exploration and exploitation licenses for gas, oil, and mines, and that he will establish a special department for the “PDVSA-Essequibo” company to immediately begin work on granting operating licenses for the exploitation of crude oil and gas. In the disputed area.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President of Guyana addressed the nation on Venezuela’s “illegal claim to the Essequibo region of Guyana,” saying the Guyana Defense Forces are on high alert and have engaged with their military counterparts, including the US Southern Command. .

The Guyanese head of state also warned that he intends to take the matter to the UN Security Council on Thursday “for the aforementioned body to take appropriate action.”

“By defying the court, Venezuela has rejected international law, the rule of law in general, basic justice, morality and the maintenance of international peace and security. They have literally declared themselves a lawless state,” the president noted.

The International Court of Justice – responsible for deciding on the allocation of disputed territories – ordered Venezuela at the beginning of December to refrain from taking measures that would exacerbate the dispute over Essequibo.

Osmari Hernandez contributed to this report.