From the Field

Guyana seeks to avoid confrontation with Venezuela

Guyana

CARACAS, December 25, 2018 – Guyana is seeking a diplomatic solution to its maritime dispute with Venezuela after two oil exploration ships hired by ExxonMobil were intercepted over the weekend by the Venezuelan navy, international media reported on Tuesday.

Both countries claimed the vessels had been in their territorial waters at the time. Exploration in the area has been paused following the incident, Reuters reported.

“We will […] first try to explore and exhaust diplomatic channels,” Carl Greenidge, Guyana’s foreign minister, told the agency. “Guyana is a small state of less than a million persons compared with Venezuela’s population of 30 million.”