Venezuela accuses UK of provocation over sending warship to Guyana

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) – Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has accused the UK of provocation after London has announced that it will send a warship to Guyana.

"A warship in waters to be delimited? And then? What about the commitment to good neighborliness and peaceful coexistence? And the agreement not to threaten and use force mutually under any circumstances?" Lopez said on X on Sunday, referring to a BBC report.

He said Venezuela will remain vigilant against the "provocations that jeopardize the peace and stability of the Caribbean and our America."

According to the BBC, the UK is preparing to send a warship to Guyana in a show of military and diplomatic support. The ship is claimed to be engaging in activities in the disputed Essequibo region between Venezuela and Guyana.

The Venezuela-Guyana territorial dispute over the Essequibo region originated before Guyana's independence, with conflicting claims on Essequibo.

The 1899 arbitration set the Essequibo River as Guyana's western border. But Guyana, post-independence in 1966, contested the ruling and asserted ownership of Essequibo.

The region, known as Guyana Esequiba, which is rich in natural resources, is now an area of contention.