The United States is committed to Guyana’s security in the face of threats from neighboring Venezuela, with a top U.S. official calling recent incidents around ExxonMobil’s offshore operations “unacceptable”.
Speaking at a special briefing on Tuesday, U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said that the security of Guyana is a “key priority” for the United States.
“We want to work with Guyana in order to ensure the security cooperation there and its guarantees on its security. We’ve seen the threats from Venezuela. We’ve seen the approaches towards Exxon facilities. Obviously, that’s unacceptable and we want to work together to ensure binding – and find an agreement towards binding security cooperation,” Claver-Carone affirmed.
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Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana have escalated in recent months over the disputed Essequibo region, and Caracas has increased its rhetoric and military posture near Guyana’s border and offshore areas. A Venezuelan coast guard patrol vessel recently targeted ships supporting ExxonMobil’s offshore oil operations, drawing reprisals from the US and other nations.
The U.S. envoy has commended the stance taken by other Caribbean nations in the dispute with Venezuela: “…. the fact that the Caribbean stands in one voice with its Caribbean partner… against those threats from Venezuela… that’s pretty extraordinary.”
Claver-Carone likened the situation to the U.S.’s involvement in the Gulf region. “The security of Guyana is a key priority for us in the same way that we have been working with countries in the Gulf states to ensure the security cooperation from the regional threats there.”
The U.S. is expected to discuss a formal framework for security cooperation with Guyanese officials during Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit. Claver-Carone said the goal is to provide “guarantees on [Guyana’s] security” and protect the integrity of its booming energy sector.
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With ExxonMobil playing a major role in Guyana’s economic transformation, Washington is signaling it will not tolerate interference or intimidation by external actors and threats to Guyana’s sovereignty.
Claver-Carone pointed out, “That’s a win-win for both Guyana and the United States.”
