UK to send naval ship to Guyana; Venezuela speaks out

Reuters reported today, December 25, that Britain will deploy the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent to the area off the coast of Guyana later this month. The ship is expected to participate in joint exercises with Guyana after Christmas Day.

"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 Mission deployment," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent

Royal Navy

The announcement was made by Britain on December 24, amid a territorial dispute in the oil-rich Essequibo region between the South American country and neighboring Venezuela.

The ship is not expected to dock at Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, according to The Guardian.

The deployment follows a visit to Guyana earlier this month by David Rutley, MP for Americas and the Caribbean at the Foreign Office. Guyana is a former British colony and ally.

The new developments follow Guyana and Venezuela agreeing earlier this month to avoid the use of force and not escalate tensions in their long-running dispute.

In a post on social media on December 24, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino stressed that his country will always be "vigilant after provocative actions that endanger the peace and stability of the Caribbean and the Americas."

The 160,000 ^square kilometer Essequibo region is generally recognized as part of Guyana, but in recent years Venezuela has reclaimed its claim to the area and offshore areas following major oil and gas discoveries.

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