The United States has vowed to respond accordingly if the Venezuelan authorities launch an attack on Guyana, its ally in South America.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on the second leg of a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, spoke on Thursday at a press conference alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.
The Trump administration is strengthening U.S. ties with Guyana, which has significant offshore oil deposits but faces threats from Venezuela, its neighbour.
Responding to a question at the press conference, Rubio stated that any aggression against Guyana by Venezuela would be a “bad mistake.”
“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil. It will be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it will not end well for them,” he said.
“I'm not going to get into details of what we are doing—we're not big on those kinds of threats. The U.S. Navy is making it clear and demonstrating our ability. We have a big Navy, and it can get anywhere in the world.
“We have commitments that exist with Guyana, we want to build on those, and we'll leave it for the appropriate time. But suffice it to say that if that regime were to do something such as that, it would be a very bad move, a big mistake for them.”
There is an ongoing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region, with fears that it could escalate into a major crisis.
