The British warship arrives in the Caribbean and tension increases due to the conflict between Venezuela and Guyana

The UK government has called on Venezuela to cease what it called “unjustified actions” against the former British colony of Guyana over its territorial claim to Essequibo sovereignty.

London, toodefended the current territorial delimitation this would nullify Caracas’ request. The dispute has once again raised concern in the region, particularly Brazil, which has mediated between the two countries.

The conflict gained a new escalation with the dispatch of a British warship to the area. The Chavista regime has announced defensive military maneuvers throughout the region. But London says that ship, HMS Trent, will not touch the coast of the Caribbean country but will be parked in the sea off Guyana as part of “a series of routine manoeuvres” in the Caribbean.

It is a River Batch 2 class high-altitude patrol vessel that entered service in August 2020, a ship specialized in the fight against piracy, smuggling and terrorism equipped with cannons and heavy machine guns. At the same time, the Kingdom has defended the current territorial demarcation that leaves the rich, disputed region of Essequibo within the borders of its former colony.

The dispute is in the hands of the International Court in The Hague, which depends on the United Nations, but Venezuela has said it does not recognize its jurisdiction. This Friday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez led the regime’s reaction in this duel by claiming that her country is preparing a “timely and legitimate response to the threatening behavior” of London.

Warning from Caracas to London

“Venezuela firmly repudiates the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial dispute over Guayana Esequiba (the name that Caracas has given to the potential province it intends to annex). The United Kingdom must remember that it was he who masterminded the fraudulent award of 1899 to steal the Essequibo, whose sole historical owner has been and will continue to be Venezuela, and is also a signatory to the Geneva Agreement of 1966,” he said. established through social networks.

Britain has rebuked Venezuela’s actions against Guyana as “unjustified”.”. A Foreign Office spokesperson added defiantly that “the border between the two countries was agreed in 1899 through international arbitration and we continue to support the territorial integrity of Guyana, an important regional ally and Commonwealth partner.” .

The British government insisted that its vessel will not dock at any port in Guyana and stressed: “We are working with partners in the region to avoid an escalation and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

The new British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, clarified his country’s position in a message on social networks on December 18 in support of the visit to Guyana by his Secretary of State for the Americas, David Rutley.

“David Rutley’s visit proves this Britain’s unequivocal support for our friends in Guyana. Sovereign borders must be respected wherever they are in the world,” Cameron wrote.

The “defensive action” launched by Nicolás Maduro

Maduro ordered what he called “defensive action” with the maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean of all its armed forces, a movement that has alerted Brazil among other powers in the region.

The Chavista president claims that the arrival of the British HMS Trent is an “unacceptable threat” that represents a “break” of the agreements signed with his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, on December 14, when they pledged not to threaten each other and avoid incidents related to the dispute.

He also criticized the fact that Guyana ignored requests from Caracas not to accept the arrival of the British vessel on its shores or in territorial waters.

The dispute escalated after Venezuela decided on December 3, in a unilateral referendum, to annex the disputed area, an area of ​​nearly 160,000 square kilometers that is under the control of Guyana and is currently being examined by the International Court of justice.

Although the media noted that there were almost no voters at that poll, the regime claimed that 10 million voters participated, which it described as broad support. So he appointed a military governor and he ordered the oil companies in the area to leave.

Brazil recognized this Friday as its own worry for the new escalation that puts their mediation efforts at risk and asked to avoid military demonstrations in support of the parties so that the dialogue process can produce results.

In a statement from the Farnesina, the Brazilian government reminded both countries of their commitment “not to use force or the threat of the use of force”, as well as to “avoid incidents” or “unilateral measures” that could lead to a exacerbation of the conflict situation, as stated in the “Argyle Declaration for Dialogue and Peace”, signed in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Brazil believes that “military demonstrations of support for both sides should be avoided, so that the underlying dialogue process can produce results.”

The statement from the Brazilian Foreign Ministry highlights that the Argyle Declaration constitutes “a milestone in efforts to peacefully address the issue.”

The issue of territorial claims, which is an old Venezuelan issue, was suddenly updated by the Chavista regime in very complicated political moments for Maduro’s continuity in power.

The leader will seek a new re-election in 2024, but is receiving strong international pressure to ensure that the elections are transparent, i.e. without fraud, which would make it very difficult for him to defeat the opposition favourite, Maria Corina Machado, who the regime continues to ban. The use of the Essequibo flag would seek to generate nationalist fervor that would result in increased support for the Chavista leader to maintain repression against the opposition and possibly suspend the elections.

Source: agencies and Clarin editorial team