Guterres said in a statement that he trusted “the good faith of both parties to prevent any action that aggravates or prolongs the controversy.”

In January 2018, the Secretary General chose the International Court of Justice as the next means to be used to end the border dispute between both countries. The decision was made after carefully analyzing the evolution of the process that had taken place over the previous years.

A recent statement from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry rejected the joint announcement made by Guyana and the United States Government about an increase in the military presence in the region to protect US energy companies.

This step “becomes the greatest threat to the stability of the Caribbean and Latin America,” according to the authorities in Caracas.

The statement highlighted the refusal of the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, to engage in direct dialogue with Venezuela to resolve the controversy over the Essequibo, as established by the Geneva Agreement. “Instead, Guyana agrees with the most aggressive military power in the history of humanity, which, through the Southern Command, has been conducting military operations in an area with enormous energy resources,” which are illegally exploited by Exxon Mobil, the Venezuelan government said.

Venezuela warned over Guyana’s dangerous maneuvers, which seek to escalate a conflict “motivated by the excessive financial appetite of its ruling class.” It also recalled the refusal to comply with international standards, maintaining the exploration and exploitation of oil in a maritime zone without delimitation with Venezuela.

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