United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a stern warning to Venezuela, cautioning that any military action against Guyana or attacks on oil assets in the Stabroek Block would have severe repercussions.
Rubio made the statement during a press conference in Guyana on Thursday following a bilateral meeting with President Dr. Irfaan Ali. He emphasized that any hostile move by Venezuela, including attacks on ExxonMobil-operated facilities, would be a serious miscalculation.
“It will be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like – it would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them. And it would not end well for them,” Rubio stated.
While refraining from detailing potential US actions, he pointed to the presence of a US Navy vessel in Guyana’s waters as a demonstration of American military capabilities.
“I’m not going to get into details of what we’ll do; we’re not big on those kinds of threats. I think everybody understands, and I want it to be clear – we’ve made this clear repeatedly – I think the U.S. Navy today is making it clear and demonstrating our ability to – we have a big navy and it can get almost anywhere in the – it can get anywhere in the world. And we have commitments that exist today with Guyana,” he added
The warning comes after a Venezuelan offshore patrol vessel entered Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on March 1. The vessel reportedly communicated with ExxonMobil-operated floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) ships, asserting that they were in Venezuelan waters—territory that remains disputed and yet to be delimited between the two nations.
Guyana pledges special treatment for the US
During the news conference, President Ali reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the US, pledging special treatment for Washington in exchange for its support.
“I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different and preferential treatment,” Ali said. “A friend who will defend me when I need a friend to defend me must be a friend that enjoys some special place in our hearts and in our country, and that will be the case.”
Ali also highlighted discussions with Rubio on the potential impact of US-imposed fines on China-built ships operating in the Caribbean. He reassured that Guyana remains flexible in its dealings with the US, emphasizing the deepening economic and security ties between the two nations.
US seeks stronger ties with Guyana
Rubio’s visit follows previous commitments by the US government to support Guyana’s development, economic expansion, and defense. The Trump administration previously indicated that it envisions a relationship with Guyana similar to those the US maintains with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations.
“The security of Guyana is a key priority for us in the same way that we have been working with countries in the Gulf states to ensure security cooperation against regional threats,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US special envoy on Latin America.
Following his visit to Guyana, Rubio is scheduled to travel to Suriname, another country in the region experiencing a rise in oil production.
