On the instructions of the Head of State, Nicolás Maduro, the Executive Vice-president of the Republic, Delcy Rodríguez, denounced and alerted countries in the region about the joint military exercises that began on January 11, 2021, between the United States and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, in the Essequibo area, thus violating the 1966 Geneva Agreement.
“There is a presence of a United States Coast Guard vessel. We are very aware that these military exercises are not carried out in jurisdictional waters of Venezuela”, Rodríguez denounced.
From the Simón Bolívar press room, located in the Miraflores Palace, the Vice-president reported that these military exercises were agreed during the visit of the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, last September 2020, which Venezuela protested strongly.
She also recalled that since 2013 and 2018, ExxonMobil (a US oil company) has a presence in the controversial territory for the exploitation of energy resources present there, with the unilateral authorization of Guyana, violating the 1966 Geneva agreement, which prohibits expressly dispose of this territory.
Finally, she highlighted that in the past, United States officials have spoken in favor of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
“Recently yesterday in a statement by the Sub-Secretary of State for the Hemisphere, he declared that he supported and celebrated the decision of the International Court of Justice of December 18, 2020. The United States skillfully promotes the decision of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana”, denounced Delcy Rodríguez.
Venezuela promotes the path of friendly treatment with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and rejects any attempt to validate actions or aggressions that threaten the peace of the region, and that seek to violate the irrevocable and undisputed sovereignty of independence of Venezuelans.