US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Venezuela that any military aggression or attacks on Guyana or American oil companies operating in Guyana’s Stabroek Block would have severe consequences.
“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like it. It would be a very bad week for them, and it would be a big mistake that would not end well for them,” Rubio said.
He added, “We have made this clear repeatedly… The US Navy today is making it clear by demonstrating our capability. We have a big Navy, and it can reach anywhere in the world. We have existing commitments that we want to build and expand on, but suffice it to say that if that regime were to do something like that, it would be a very bad move. It would be a big mistake.”
The Secretary of State made these remarks in response to a question from the local media following a meeting with President Dr. Irfaan Ali at State House. The meeting addressed several national affairs and reaffirmed US support for Guyana in light of the ongoing Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. Guyana maintains that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Land Boundary Award definitively settled the Guyana-Venezuela border.
On 1 March 2025, Venezuela sent a military offshore patrol vessel into Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and communicated with several ExxonMobil-operated floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels, as well as other vessels, instructing them that they were in Venezuelan waters.
Additionally, in February, six Guyanese soldiers were injured following an armed attack by Venezuelan military officers.
The 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Land Boundary Award is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a case brought by Guyana after growing frustrated with the United Nations Secretary-General’s mediation process, which lasted 50 years without resolution.
