“We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Guyana” – US envoy on Venezuela’s threats

…no current plans for Ali, Maduro to meet – VP Jagdeo

United States Ambassador in Georgetown, Nicole Theriot, has noted that the Venezuelan naval vessel’s recent incursion in Guyana’s waters is unacceptable and reiterated her government’s continued support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on Thursday, Ambassador Theriot stated that US was very concerned about this latest act of aggression by Venezuela against Guyana.
“Clearly, we support Guyana 100% against this aggression that is unacceptable and we won’t allow Venezuela to threaten Guyana’s territory and sovereignty. And so, we are standing with many other international partners [to condemn the incursion]…we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Guyana in supporting you and defending you,” she told Guyana Times.
At about 07:00h on, March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan Coast Guard vessel, identified as ABV Guaiquerí PO-11 (IMO 4695542), entered Guyana’s waters and approached a tanker near the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) that is operating in the Stabroek Block, Offshore Guyana.
Located within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which Venezuela is laying claim to, the oil-rich Stabroek Block is being operated by US oil major, ExxonMobil, which has discovered over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and is currently conducting production and other exploration activities.
During its incursion, the Venezuelan naval vessel communicated threateningly via radio communication that Prosperity was operating in Venezuela’s EEZ, before continuing in a southwestern direction towards other FPSOs in Guyana’s waters, to which it delivered the same message.
Following the Venezuela’s incursion, the Guyana Government has since activated a series of responses, including the deployment of military resources offshore, engaging the international community and it has also sent a formal protest note to Caracas.
Guyana reminded that all the activities which the Government of Guyana has authorised to be undertaken in its EEZ are entirely within the maritime areas appurtenant to the sovereign coastal territory of Guyana, as defined by the Arbitral Award of 1899.
Hours after the incident, the US Government had condemned the threat from Venezuela.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the threat to both ExxonMobil and Guyana.
“Venezuelan naval vessels threatening ExxonMobil’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is unacceptable and a clear violation of Guyana’s internationally-recognized maritime territory,” the social media post stated.
It went on to say, “Further provocation will result in consequences for the Maduro regime. The United States reaffirms its support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and the 1899 arbitral award.”
In addition to Guyana’s EEZ, Venezuela is also laying claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region. In fact, the Nicolás Maduro regime has even declared plans to annex the Essequibo and hold elections there on May 25, 2025 – a move that has attracted widespread condemnation and criticism from other countries as well as regional and international bodies.

No plans to meet
Based on reports coming out of Caracas, Maduro has recently called for a face-to-face meeting with President Dr Irfaan, who is currently in the United States and has been meeting with several top US officials to discuss a number of issues including security collaboration.
However, during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo indicated that no plans have been finalized for such an engagement between the two South American leaders.
“I don’t think currently, there’s any plans to meet that has been finalized,” the VP told reporters.
Jagdeo pointed out that the reason for the meeting needs to be clarified before a determination is made.
“That has to be assessed against what he wants to meet on and also whether it is good for our country and our national security interest. The President will make that assessment,” he noted.

President Ali had already met the Venezuelan President back in December 2023 in a historic CARICOM/CELAC/Brazil-brokered meeting held in St Vincent and the Grenadines after Maduro had threaten to seize and annex Guyana’s Essequibo region. The two leaders had signed the Argle Declaration – a peace pact barring them from any aggression against each other.
At the time, Guyana had also obtained orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), refraining Venezuela from any actions to disturb Guyana’s administration and control of Essequibo.
The ICJ is currently hearing a case to settle the decades-old border controversy between the two South American neighbours. Guyana initiated the case back in March 2018, asking the court to issue a final and binding ruling that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which determined the international boundary with Venezuela, is legally valid.
Only last week, in response to Venezuela’s planned elections in Guyana’s Essequibo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation filed in the Registry of the ICJ a Request for the indication of provisional measures in the case concerning Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela). Guyana is asking the court to reaffirm its 2023 order and further order Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequibo region.
In its March 6, 2025 filing, Guyana informed the World Court that the planned Venezuelan elections would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana’s Essequibo region, affecting the Guyanese population and Guyana’s sovereignty over its territory.
Guyana further requested the ICJ to convene hearings on its request as soon as possible, to enable such provisional measures as might be indicated by the Court to be issued before serious and irremediable prejudice to Guyana’s rights occurs.
Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, has already warned that anyone, including Guyanese, who supports Venezuela’s planned elections would be charged and jailed.
These new developments come just a few weeks after six members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) came under attack by Venezuelan men on the border. The February 17, 2025, attack injured the six troops – all with gunshot wounds. Initial reports had indicated that some of the Venezuelan men died, after Guyana’s soldiers returned fire.