US calls on Venezuela to respect Guyana’s sovereignty, international law

Robert Palladino

The US government has called on Venezuela to respect Guyana’s sovereignty and says it is monitoring developments here after Georgetown complained of an incursion by the Venezuelan Navy into this country’s waters on Saturday. Caracas, meanwhile, has called for direct dialogue with Guyana.

“We are monitoring reports that the Venezuelan Navy may have interfered with vessels operating on behalf of ExxonMobil. We underscore that Guyana has the sovereign right to explore and exploit resources in its territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone,” Robert Palladino, the US State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson said on Twitter yesterday.

“We call on #Venezuela to respect international law and the sovereignty of its neighbors,” he added.