In addition to these exercises, the USA plans to expand cooperation with Guyana in various areas, including disaster preparedness, air and maritime security, among others.
Source: PressTV
The U.S. Southern Command conducted joint exercises with the Guyanese Defense Forces on December 7th, as reported by Sarbaz.kz citing Army Recognition.
It's worth reminding that the border feud has recently escalated due to the oil-rich Essequibo region, controlled by Guyana for over a century but also claimed by Venezuela, which declared its intention to seize it.
The longstanding dispute over Essequibo, covering about two-thirds of Guyana's territory, has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered oil there in 2015.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez on Thursday condemned the U.S.-Guyanese military aviation exercises as a "provocation."
"This unsuccessful U.S. provocation in favor of ExxonMobil in Guyana is another step in the wrong direction. We warn that we will not be deterred from our future actions to reclaim Essequibo," he stated in X.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is currently in the midst of a legal process determining the borders of the region.
The United Nations Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Friday to discuss the escalating tensions on the Guyana-Venezuela border, at the request of the former, according to the official schedule.
On Tuesday, the Guyana Defense Forces were put on high alert.
On Wednesday, it was reported that a Guyanese army helicopter with seven people on board went missing near the border, but an official spokesperson from Guyana's Ministry of Defense stated that there is "no information to suggest" Venezuela's involvement.