US secretary of state Marco Rubio threatens Venezuela with ‘aggressive action’ if it attacks Guyana – The Times of India

US secretary of state Marco Rubio issued a warning to Venezuela on Thursday, cautioning in opposition to any aggressive motion in the direction of oil wealthy neighbour, Guyana. Talking in Georgetown, Rubio made it clear that the US wouldn’t stand by if Venezuela tried to grab the disputed, oil-wealthy Essequibo area.
“I’ve full confidence saying it now as secretary of state — there might be penalties for adventurism. There might be penalties for aggressive motion,” Rubio declared at a joint information convention.
When requested concerning the potential US response to an assault on ExxonMobil oil initiatives in Guyana, Rubio didn’t explicitly verify a army intervention however delivered a blunt message: “It will be a really unhealthy day—a really unhealthy week for them.”
He added, “We’ve an enormous navy, and it can get virtually wherever.”
The feedback drew an indignant response from Venezuelan President and leftist chief, Nicolas Maduro, who known as Rubio an “imbecile” and rejected any overseas interference.
“Nobody threatens Venezuela,” Maduro mentioned.
Safety pact and rising tensions
Throughout his go to to Guyana, Rubio signed an settlement to strengthen safety cooperation between the 2 nations, specializing in intelligence sharing. It comes years after Guyana and the US agreed to joint maritime patrols.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali welcomed Washington’s agency stance, calling Venezuela’s declare to Essequibo “illegitimate.” He expressed satisfaction with the US dedication to safeguarding Guyana’s territorial integrity.
Venezuelan overseas minister Yvan Gil responded by way of Telegram, stating that Venezuela doesn’t “search conflicts, however neither will we enable overseas pursuits to attempt to rewrite the fact about our Essequibo.” he mentioned.
“Get your noses out of this dispute!”
In the meantime, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US particular envoy on Latin America, instructed that Washington envisions a future “binding” safety relationship with Guyana—much like how US forces defend oil-wealthy Gulf states from bigger regional threats.
The lengthy-standing border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana dates again centuries. Whereas Guyana asserted that an 1899 arbitration ruling settled the matter, Venezuela insisted the Essequibo River ought to function the pure boundary—a declare rooted in maps from 1777.
The stakes have risen dramatically since ExxonMobil found huge offshore oil reserves in 2015. Guyana’s manufacturing is anticipated to succeed in 1.3 million barrels per day by the tip of the last decade—surpassing Venezuela’s present output.
In the meantime, US coverage in the direction of Venezuela has been more and more aggressive. Beneath stress from anti-communist Latino lawmakers, Washington has tightened sanctions on the Maduro authorities, together with revoking Chevron’s exemption to function within the nation.
Rubio later visited Suriname, one other quick-rising oil producer, additional underlining the US’s strategic curiosity within the area.