Guyana: Guyana boosts security in Essequibo and engages US to defend land from Venezuela
Guyana said it’s intensifying security measures and engaging the US military to help it protect the oil-rich region of Essequibo, describing Venezuela’s intentions to grant oil exploration licenses in the area as a threat to its territorial integrity.
The United Nations Security Council plans to hold a closed-door meeting on the issue Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter. Both sides will have the chance to speak before the council’s 15 members. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said in an earlier statement that his country had asked the Security Council to take appropriate action, but no immediate decision is expected at this point, according to the people.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro further escalated tensions with Guyana over Essequibo with an order Tuesday evening that state-owned oil and mineral companies start granting exploration licenses for deposits in the region.
“We will not allow our territory to be violated nor the development of our country to be stymied by this desperate threat,” Ali said in the statement, adding that Guyana’s defense force was on full alert and has engaged its military counterparts, including the US Southern Command.
Ali and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Wednesday, with the top American diplomat offering “unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty.”