DESPITE sharp condemnation from Guyana and the international community, including the US, Venezuela continues to defend its actions regarding the latest maritime incident in the disputed Essequibo region.
On March 2, Venezuela defence minister Gen Vladimir Padrino Lopez issued a statement saying that the national armed force (FANB) categorically rejects the statements made by Guyana president Dr Irfaan Ali on the incident that occurred "in waters pending delimitation...
"It is imperative to remember that the aforementioned dispute has a valid legal instrument in force, deposited in the General Assembly of the UN, which governs its practical, political and satisfactory solution: the Geneva Agreement," Lopez said.
"Therefore, Guyana has no legal basis or legitimacy to unilaterally dispose of a space where it cannot exercise sovereignty or jurisdiction."
Ali had denounced what he called an incursion, alleging a Venezuelan Coast Guard (CG) vessel entered Guyana's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on the morning of March 1.
The vessel then approached the offshore platform Prosperity FPSO (floating, production, storage, and offloading).
Guyana news outlet News Source shared an audio of the alleged exchange between a representative onboard the CG vessel and the captain of the FPSO via radio. The speaker claimed the FPSO was operating in Venezuela's EEZ.
Shortly after Ali made the public announcement of the dispute, the US Department of State accused the Venezuelan naval vessel of threatening workers of the US-based oil and gas giant ExxonMobil's FPSO.
Lopez also accused the Guyanese government of allowing the exploitation of hydrocarbons in violation of international law, condemning what he referred to as "the imperialistic actions" of companies like ExxonMobil, which he claims are backed by North American interests.
"FANB rejects the biased and partial positions assumed by some regional organisations, which, far from contributing to the solution of the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, constitute themselves prophets of disaster by promoting hostility and warlike policies," Lopez said.
"Faced with these incessant attacks, the armed institution, faithful to its anti-imperialist nature, prepares itself in perfect popular military-police fusion to respond to any threat and preserve the territorial integrity and peace of the Republic."
On January 10, a statement from the US State Department listed Lopez as a wanted man and offered a US $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
The department cited his alleged involvement in drug trafficking operations.
The statement added that Lopez was indicted by a US (District of Columbia ) federal grand jury in May 2019 on charges related to the distribution of cocaine.
The statement added, "After (Nicolas) Maduro declared victory in the July 2024 presidential election despite evidence to the contrary, Maduro purported to reaffirm Padrino Lopez as his minister of defense."
It said the US government neither recognised Maduro as the election w
