The US ambassador to Guyana said on Thursday (04/12/2025) that the United States would “defend” the small English-speaking South American nation in the event of problems with Venezuela, which claims Essequibo, an oil-rich region and the subject of a centuries-old border dispute.
This statement comes at a time when Washington deployed a military fleet in the Caribbean Sea, including the largest aircraft carrier in the world, under the pretext of combating drug smuggling. Caracas condemns “the aggression being prepared.”
Ambassador Nicole Thieriot told AFP, “In the event of an unfortunate incident, we are committed to standing by Guyana in defense of its country… to protect its sovereignty.”
He added: “You are very important to us strategically, and you are very important to us as partners.”
The American company ExxonMobil is the main oil operator in the country, which has the largest oil reserves per capita in the world.
Venezuelan attack on Guyana ‘highly unlikely’
The ExxonMobil-led consortium, which includes Chevron and China National Overseas Oil Corporation (CNOOC), hopes to help Guyana produce more than 1 million barrels of crude oil per day by the end of the decade. Total Energy, Petronas and Qatar Energy are also active in Guyana.
“We are evaluating all possibilities. Regarding the security and protection of Guyana, I cannot go into details, but there is an ongoing assessment,” the diplomat told AFP regarding a possible Venezuelan attack.
Evan Ellis, a specialist in Latin American affairs at the US Army War College, considers a Venezuelan attack “highly unlikely” due to the “overwhelming response” that the United States will provide.
“It is difficult to imagine a Venezuelan naval or air capability that could not be quickly eliminated.” Ellis estimates that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “would sign a death warrant against his regime” if it launched an attack.
mg (AFP, EFI)