https://sputnikglobe.com/20231224/uk-to-deploy-royal-navy-warship-to-ex-colony-amid-guyana-venezuela-dispute-1115784604.html
UK to Deploy Royal Navy Warship to Ex-Colony Amid Guyana-Venezuela Dispute
UK to Deploy Royal Navy Warship to Ex-Colony Amid Guyana-Venezuela Dispute
Sputnik International
The UK has decided to re-task its Royal Navy warship, the HMS Trent, and deploy it to Guyana after Christmas amid the ex-colony's territorial dispute with Venezuela.
2023-12-24T13:30+0000
2023-12-24T13:30+0000
2023-12-24T13:30+0000
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The UK has decided to re-task Royal Navy warship the HMS Trent and deploy it to Guyana after Christmas, according to British media reports.Instead of scouring the Caribbean in search of drug smugglers, the warship will take part in joint naval exercises with the former British colony and Commonwealth member. The decision was reportedly prompted by the current flare-up of the territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.The HMS Trent is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel, named after the River Trent. Commanded by Commander Tim D. Langford, it is designed to carry out tasks that include “counter-piracy, anti-smuggling, fishery protection, border patrol, counter terrorism, humanitarian aid, search and rescue, general patrols and defence diplomacy,” as per the Royal Navy website.The warship will stay in Barbados, the Caribbean region of the Americas, during Christmas, after which it will be heading for Guyana. Its activities will reportedly be carried out at sea, and will not involve docking in Guyana’s capital, Georgetown.Earlier in December, when Britain's Foreign Office Minister for the Americas and Caribbean David Rutley visited Guyana, he was quoted as saying that that the UK would work internationally “to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld.”The border between Guyana and Venezuela, which runs through the Guyana-Essequibo region, known for its abundant oil reserves, has been a source of territorial dispute for several decades.Venezuela held a referendum earlier this month in which almost 96% of the population voted in favor of incorporating the Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of the territory controlled by Guyana, into the country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro put forward a proposal to the parliament, suggesting the establishment of Venezuela's 24th state, named Guyana-Essequibo. He also produced a new map showing the disputed region of Essequibo as part of Venezuela. Besides referring to Essequibo as a "zone of integral defense," Venezuela's president proposed a deadline of three months for oil companies to halt offshore operations in the area. Last Sunday, a referendum was conducted to reaffirm Caracas's claim to Essequibo. The majority of citizens voted in favor of establishing a state on the disputed territory.According to Venezuelan media, President Nicolas Maduro has already officially signed decrees to incorporate the western region of neighboring Guyana into Venezuela, ratifying a total of six documents. In addition, Maduro signed a decree facilitating the creation of specialized units within the state oil and gas company PDVSA — PDVSA Essequibo and the Guyana Venezuelan Corporation — CVG Essequibo. To oversee the newly formed state, Major General Alexis Rodriguez Cabello was appointed as the sole head of the 24th state.Venezuela and Guyana have since agreed not to threaten or use force in any circumstances to settle the dispute, as per a joint statement, published by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The sides also agreed to meet in Brazil within the next three months to "consider any matter with implications for the territory in dispute" and immediately establish a joint commission on the level of foreign minister and experts to address the dispute.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231209/maduro-signs-decrees-to-incorporate-essequibo-into-venezuela-1115495905.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231215/guyana-venezuela-agree-not-to-use-force-to-resolve-essequibo-dispute-1115597410.html
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uk royal navy warship, hms trent, uk former colony, guyana-venezuela territorial dispute
uk royal navy warship, hms trent, uk former colony, guyana-venezuela territorial dispute
UK to Deploy Royal Navy Warship to Ex-Colony Amid Guyana-Venezuela Dispute
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro met in mid-December under the aegis of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community to defuse tensions around the disputed region of Essequibo. The two agreed to "continue dialogue to resolve the dispute over the Essequibo territory."
The UK has decided to re-task Royal Navy warship the HMS Trent and deploy it to Guyana after Christmas, according to British media reports.
Instead of scouring the Caribbean in search of drug smugglers, the warship will take part in joint naval exercises with the former British colony and Commonwealth member. The decision was reportedly prompted by the current flare-up of the
territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.
"HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment," a UK Ministry of Defense spokesperson was cited as saying.
The HMS Trent is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel, named after the River Trent. Commanded by Commander Tim D. Langford, it is designed to carry out tasks that include “counter-piracy, anti-smuggling, fishery protection, border patrol, counter terrorism, humanitarian aid, search and rescue, general patrols and defence diplomacy,” as per the Royal Navy website.
The warship will stay in Barbados, the Caribbean region of the Americas, during Christmas, after which it will be heading for Guyana. Its activities will reportedly be carried out at sea, and will not involve docking in Guyana’s capital, Georgetown.
Earlier in December, when Britain's Foreign Office Minister for the Americas and Caribbean David Rutley visited
Guyana, he was quoted as saying that that the UK would work internationally “
to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld.”
The border between Guyana and Venezuela, which runs through the Guyana-Essequibo region, known for its abundant oil reserves, has been a source of territorial dispute for several decades.
Venezuela gained independence from Spain in 1845 and recognized Essequibo - a zone of160,000 sq. km - as part of its sovereign territory. In 1899, however, the United Kingdom filed and won an arbitration claim to recognize Essequibo as part of its then-Caribbean colony of British Guiana. Independent Guyana referred the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2018. This came after Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro objected to former Guyanese president David Granger granting oil exploration rights off the Essequibo coast to ExxonMobil, the US-French oil transnational.
Venezuela
held a referendum earlier this month in which almost 96% of the population voted in favor of incorporating the Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of the territory controlled by Guyana, into the country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro put forward a proposal to the parliament, suggesting the establishment of Venezuela's 24th state, named
Guyana-Essequibo. He also produced a new map showing the disputed region of Essequibo as part of Venezuela. Besides referring to Essequibo as a
"zone of integral defense," Venezuela's president proposed a deadline of three months for oil companies to halt offshore operations in the area. Last Sunday, a referendum was conducted to reaffirm Caracas's claim to Essequibo. The majority of citizens voted in favor of establishing a state on the disputed territory.
9 December 2023, 13:57 GMT
According to Venezuelan media, President Nicolas Maduro has already officially signed decrees to incorporate the western region of neighboring Guyana into Venezuela, ratifying a total of six documents. In addition, Maduro signed a decree facilitating the creation of specialized units within the state oil and gas company
PDVSA — PDVSA Essequibo and the Guyana Venezuelan Corporation — CVG Essequibo. To oversee the newly formed state, Major General Alexis Rodriguez Cabello was appointed as the sole head of the 24th state.
Venezuela and Guyana have since agreed not to threaten or use force in any circumstances to settle the dispute, as per a joint statement, published by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The sides also agreed to meet in Brazil within the next three months to "consider any matter with implications for the territory in dispute" and immediately establish a joint commission on the level of foreign minister and experts to address the dispute.
15 December 2023, 04:42 GMT
