Guyana denounces Venezuela for rape of territorial waters; US warns Maduro

Guyana President Irfaan Ali said on Saturday that a Venezuelan coast guard patrol entered Guyanesas waters in the morning and approached a production ship in an oil block on the high seas.

Neighborhood countries are involved in a long -standing dispute, which is the object of an ongoing case in the International Court of Justice (CIJ), on which nation the Esequibo area of ​​160,000 square kilometers controls.

The northwest part of the block, close to Venezuela, has remained in force majeure because the Exxon group has not been able to complete the exploration there.

«During this incursion, the Venezuelan ship approached several assets in our exclusive waters, including the Prosperity FPSO,» Ali said in a statement.

The Venezuelan Ministry of Communication did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Guyana summoned the Venezuelan ambassador to meet with his Minister of Foreign Affairs and has been recommended to his embassy in Caracas to present a formal complaint against Venezuela, he added.

Guyana will also formally notify the incident to the ICJ and will contact international partners such as the Caribbean community (CARICOM), according to the statement.

The Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the Venezuelan incursion in «internationally recognized maritime territory of Guyana».

The incident was a «clear rape» of Guyana’s maritime territory, said the Office of Affairs of the Western Hemisphere of the United States. «Any additional provocation will have consequences for Maduro’s regime,» he added.