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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio flew the short hop from Jamaica to Guyana yesterday and on arrival immediately announced that the U.S. will respond strongly if Venezuela attacks Guyana.
He warned that such an attack would be a “very bad day” for Venezuela.
Rubio is touring three Caribbean countries to promote energy independence and fight illegal migration, drug trafficking, and gang violence. On Thursday, he visited Guyana to meet with President Irfaan Ali. He then traveled to Suriname.
Rubio called Venezuela’s territorial claims “illegitimate” and linked them to drug trafficking. He said the U.S. would not tolerate “aggressive actions.”
Guyana has a lot of offshore oil and is part of the U.S. plan to reduce the region’s reliance on Venezuelan oil. Even though President Trump imposed sanctions on Venezuela, the U.S. still imports some of its oil.
Recently, Guyana complained that a Venezuelan navy ship entered disputed waters near where ExxonMobil is working on a huge oil project. Rubio warned that any attack on Guyana or ExxonMobil “would not end well” for Venezuela.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela will never give up its claim to the disputed area. He accused Rubio and Ali of disturbing peace in the region.
President Ali thanked Rubio for his support. He said the Venezuelan ship came close to oil storage ships run by Exxon, Hess, and a Chinese company. The area, called the Stabroek Block, holds about 11 billion barrels of oil.
In response, the Trump administration announced new sanctions, including a 25% tax on goods from countries that import Venezuelan oil.
Rubio also signed a security deal with Guyana to improve intelligence sharing and military cooperation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy and Guyana’s navy started joint exercises to protect the country’s waters.
Venezuela has long claimed the Essequibo region, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s land. This claim became active again after Exxon’s oil discovery in 2015. Venezuela says Guyana’s oil work there is illegal.
Rubio later met with Suriname’s President Chan Santokhi and encouraged U.S. businesses to invest in the country. He said U.S. business ties are better than China’s “loan-heavy” projects, criticizing Chinese-built roads for being bumpy and poorly made.
Sources: AP, US Department of State, Stabroek News.
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