Rubio Warns Venezuela Against Aggression Toward Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed Thursday that the United States would respond forcefully if Venezuela attacks Guyana amid an escalating territorial dispute involving vast oil and gas reserves, the Associated Press reported.

Rubio, on a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, made a brief stop in Guyana’s capital, where he met with President Irfaan Ali and other officials. Speaking at a joint news conference, Rubio warned that any Venezuelan aggression would have serious consequences.

“The regional threats are based on illegitimate territorial claims by a narco-trafficking regime,” Rubio said. “And I want to be frank, there will be consequences for adventurism. There will be consequences for aggressive actions.”

Guyana, home to significant offshore oil deposits, has become a key player in U.S. efforts to promote energy independence in the region. Earlier this month, the country accused Venezuela of sending an armed naval vessel into disputed waters near ExxonMobil’s massive oil fields.

Rubio made clear that any further incursions would not be tolerated. “It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like it,” he said. “It would not end well for them.”

In Caracas, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez dismissed Rubio’s remarks, saying Venezuela would not abandon its claim to the Essequibo region and accusing the U.S. of destabilizing the region.

The territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana has intensified since ExxonMobil’s 2015 oil discovery in the Stabroek Block, which holds an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. The Maduro government has repeatedly condemned Guyana’s development of the fields, calling it “illegal.”