In a significant escalation of the longstanding territorial dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo region made famous by a string of ExxonMobil discoveries, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said on Thursday that its troops were attacked by armed individuals in civilian clothing from the Venezuelan side of the Cuyuni River, the Guardian reported.
According to the GDF, three separate attacks occurred within a 24-hour period along a stretch of the river. No injuries or casualties were reported, and Guyana has stepped up patrols in the region.
The attacks come just days before Venezuela plans to hold elections in the Essequibo region on May 25, against the backdrop of international condemnation.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a binding order prohibiting Venezuela from taking unilateral actions in the disputed area.
Venezuela has long claimed sovereignty over the resource-rich Essequibo region, which comprises about two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass. In recent years, Caracas has expanded its claims to include maritime areas off Guyana’s coast, including parts of the offshore Stabroek Block operated by ExxonMobil, where more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent have been discovered.
Washington has warned that any attack on Guyana or ExxonMobil would result in severe consequences for Venezuela.
As tensions escalate over Guyana, we are also coming up on a May 27 deadline for U.S. companies to wind down operations in Venezuela, with the first cargo of new Venezuelan crude delivered to the U.S. on Thursday. Chevron Corp, along with several other producers, is now lobbying the Trump administration to keep this flowing and to maintain their JV stakes with Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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