Venezuela vows Forceful Response if Drilling Begins in Disputed Region

Venezuela has vowed to respond forcefully if drilling to start in the contested waters off Guyana, according to the AFP.

• "In the maritime space that rightfully belongs to Venezuela, they will receive a proportional, forceful response that adheres to the law," Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino wrote on X.
• The statement followed an announcement by ExxonMobil that they would drill two exploratory wells off the coast of the Essequibo region.
• The territory composes two thirds of Guyana, but Venezuela claims it as its own, passing a non-binding referendum in December to annex the territory.
• Following the referendum, Venezuela gave oil producers 90 days to cease production in the territory holding around 8b bbl of reserves.
• Tensions had eased following an agreement in Brazil in January, where both sides agreed not to use force to resolve the issue.
• Guyana is the fastest growing oil producing region, currently extracting around 645k b/d.