U.K. deploys warship to South America to defend Guyana amid Venezuelan invasion threats

The United Kingdom is deploying a warship to the South American coastline as a deterrent to Venezuelan forces after its communist dictator, Nicolas Maduro expressed intent to invade a disputed Guyanese territory, according to a report published by the BBC.

The threat to invade came after Maduro arranged a Dec. 3 national referendum in his home country asking Venezuelans whether they believed the disputed territory was legitimately part of their country, sparking fears that Caracas might ignite the first interstate conflict in South America since the 1982 Falklands War.

The Essequibo territory, which has been in dispute for more than 100 years came into focus in 2015 after ExxonMobil discovered oil reserves and minerals off its shoreline.

The referendum, like many elections arranged by Maduro, came back in favor of the regime’s political objectives, bolstering his claims and creating the appearance of a mandate. As a result of Maduro’s threats, the U.S. began air force drills with the Guyanese armed forces and Brazil mobilized land troops to its border with the communist country to send a message of deterrence, signaling Caracas should think twice before destabilizing the region.

On Dec. 15, ADN America reported that Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali met in St. Vincent and the  Grenadine islands as part of a conference arranged by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to sign a three page peace agreement.

Despite the agreement, Maduro has not stopped making political decisions that suggest Venezuela is annexing the region, and this week, the Lloyd's insurance market in London added Guyana to its list of high-risk shipping zones. The communist dictators has begun publishing new maps depicting Essequibo as part of Venezuela, named a new governor there, offered national identity cards to those living in the area and even ordered the state oil company to issue extraction licenses.

As a result of the continuing crisis, the British Ministry of Defense deployed the HMS Trent to Guyana to participate in the former British colony’s joint military exercises after Christmas. The warship is generally used for tracking pirates, smugglers and terrorists, and providing both humanitarian aid and search and rescue operations, but the Royal Navy says it is also used for border patrols and defense diplomacy. 

Guyana, a Commonwealth member, was a British colony until 1966 and is South America's only English-speaking nation. 

“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 Task deployment,” a Ministry of Defense spokesperson told the BBC.

The warship is reportedly armed with 30mm cannon, has a top speed of 24 knots, a range of 5,000 nautical miles and a crew of 65 Royal Marines. It can also deploy Merlin helicopters and unmanned aircraft. 

It left its home port of Gibraltar in early December, has already reached Bridgetown, Barbados and is soon expected to reach the Guyanese capital city of Georgetown where it will and conduct joint drills and training with its navy. Other allies will reportedly participate in the drills as well. 

In addition to military support, London is also showing Georgetown diplomatic support.

This week, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said England would, “continue to work with partners in the region to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld and prevent escalation,” and Foreign Office Minister for the Americas David Rutley arrived in Guyana a week before Christmas, pledging London’s “unequivocal backing.”

“The border issue has been settled for over 120 years. Sovereign borders must be respected wherever they are in the world. The U.K. will continue to work with partners in the region, as well as through international bodies, to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld,” Rutley said.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil accused London of interference, saying its involvement would only further cause chaos in the South American region.

“The former invading and enslaving empire, which illegally occupied the territory of Guyana Esequiba and acted in a skillful and sneaky manner against the interests of Venezuela, insists on intervening in a territorial controversy that they themselves generated,” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Venezuela has claimed ownership of Essequibo, a 61,000 square mile region which covers about two-thirds of Guyana, since 1899. The region has been the subject of a century long territorial dispute between the two countries dating back to the late 19th century. 

Guyana has insisted that the issue is scheduled to be resolved by the U.N.’s International Court of Justice in The Hague, Maduro refuses to recognize ICJ jurisdiction. While the dispute over the region has gone on for more than a century, the Maduro regime was virtually silent on the issue until 2015 when Exxon Mobil and Chevron discovered oil off its coastline. 

The communist dictator renewed Venezuela’s interest in the claim even though Guyana already negotiated deals with investors including oil and gas giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil.