Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has ordered more than 5,600 military personnel to participate in “defensive” exercises, after the UK deployed a warship to waters off the coast of Guyana in a show of support for the former British colony.
Maduro said he was launching an action “of a defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the UK against peace and the sovereignty of our country”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Sunday announced that it would send the patrol vessel HMS Trent to Guyana, amid a simmering territorial dispute that began when Maduro renewed Venezuela’s claim to the oil-rich Essequibo region.
The 62,000 sq mile (160,000 sq km) Essequibo region is generally recognised as part of Guyana but, in recent years, Venezuela has revived its claim to the territory and offshore areas after major oil and gas discoveries.
Aww is Maduro sad he couldn’t invade a sovereign nation to steal their resources?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has ordered more than 5,600 military personnel to participate in “defensive” exercises, after the UK deployed a warship to waters off the coast of Guyana in a show of support for the former British colony.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Sunday announced that it would send the patrol vessel HMS Trent to Guyana, amid a simmering territorial dispute that began when Maduro renewed Venezuela’s claim to the oil-rich Essequibo region.
Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent is visiting Guyana, a British ally and former colony, as part of a series of engagements in the region, the MoD said, without referring to Venezuela or the border dispute.
Maduro has ordered “the activation of a joint defensive action of the Bolivarian national armed forces” off the coast of Essequibo, he said in a state televised broadcast, but did not give more information.
In a statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said the country “reserves all actions, within the framework of the constitution and international law, to defend its maritime and territorial integrity”.
A UK foreign minister, David Rutley, visited Guyana earlier this month and reiterated that its territorial integrity should be respected.
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