Venezuela lays claim to Guyana’s oil rich waters

It was revealed that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on May 27, 2015 issued a decree, extending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters.

Venezuela lays claim to Guyana’s oil rich waters

Venezuela is making new claims to this Guyana’s territorial waters which include the Stabroek Block where US oil company, ExxonMobil  recently announced it had found significant deposits of oil and is pushing ahead with its exploration activity.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on May 27, 2015 issued a decree, extending Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territorial waters.

A map which was issued, accompanying the decree, shows that the claim includes the area where the ExxonMobil company is currently drilling for oil.

 Former Guyana Ambassador to Venezuela, Odeen Ishmael has confirmed that the extension of Venezuela’s claim would encompass to the area where US oil giant ExxonMobil is currently drilling for oil.

 “A map, issued to coincide with this decree, indicates that Venezuela is now claiming all the territorial waters within the 200 miles range and blocking Guyana’s access to its resources in this area of the Atlantic Ocean,” he said in a statement.

This comes following a series of fresh objections by Venezuela over oil exploration and other activities in Guyana’s waters over the last two years.

In March, the government issued a strong message to the Government of Venezuela over Venezuela’s decision to write the Exxon Mobil oil company objecting to its decision to begin drilling for oil in the Guyana waters.

The Guyana Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that the Government of Venezuela desists from taking any action that could only result in the stymieing of the development of Guyana and its people and that would be in contravention of international law.

The Government of Guyana informed CARICOM, UNASUR, the OAS, the Commonwealth as well as the United Nations Secretary General about this recent action by Venezuela.

Venezuela continues to claim some parts of Guyana’s territory as its own although settlement on the issue was completed decades ago.

In this regard the new APNU+AFC administration has said that changes will be to its approach in addressing the issue with its neighbor once and for all.

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