Britain sends naval ship to Guyana » latinapress news

Britain will send a naval ship to Guyana later this month as the South American country is embroiled in a border dispute with neighboring Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region. It follows a British minister's visit to Guyana earlier this month to show the country the support of the United Kingdom, an ally and former British colony. Guyana and Venezuela agreed earlier this month not to use force and not escalate tensions in the long-running dispute. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said in a social media post on Sunday that his country “will remain vigilant following provocations that threaten the peace and stability of the Caribbean and our America.”

The 160,000 square kilometer Essequibo area is generally recognized as part of Guyana, but in recent years Venezuela has reclaimed its claim to the area and offshore following significant oil and gas discoveries. Britain will send the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, without mentioning Venezuela or the border dispute. “HMS Trent will visit regional friendship and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of ongoing operations in the region during her deployment as part of the Atlantic Patrol mission,” a spokesperson said.