Venezuela vowed to "fight back" if U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil began oil drilling in disputed waters off the coast of neighboring Guyana, as it claimed this week.
Caracas has long claimed the Ethiopian area, which accounts for about two-thirds of Guyana's territory, but has stepped up its rhetoric since its neighbors began licensing oil companies.
According to the report, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino pointed out in a post on the X platform that although ExxonMobil may have the protection of the United States and Guyana, "in the maritime area that should belong to Venezuela, they will be subject to strong counterattacks in accordance with the law."
ExxonMobil discovered a huge ** deposit off the coast of Guyana in 2015. On the 6th of this month, the company announced plans to drill two exploration wells off the coast of Essequibo this year. Guyana has administered this area for more than 100 years.
According to the report, in December last year, Venezuela** Nicolás Maduro launched a controversial and non-binding referendum to overwhelmingly approve Venezuela to establish a province in Ethiopia, sparking fears of a military conflict in the largely peaceful South American region. (Compiled by Cheng Guoyi).