Britain to send military ship to Guyana amid claims from Venezuela
Photo: Britain will send its ship to the shores of Guyana (flickr.com/apt96)
Britain plans to send its military ship, HMS Trent, to the shores of Guyana as a sign of support amid the threat of aggression from Venezuela, according to BBC.
The intention to send the HMS Trent ship to Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America, has been confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence, as reported by BBC. The British ship will participate in joint exercises after Christmas.
Currently, the HMS Trent is in the Caribbean basin, engaged in the search for drug traffickers. However, following Venezuela's announcement of its intention to annex part of Guyana, the ship has been assigned a different mission.
Dispute between Venezuela and Guyana
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recalled this year an age-old territorial conflict with Guyana. Venezuela claims almost 70% of the territory of its neighboring country, which is rich in oil and other valuable resources.
Venezuela asserts that this territory became part of its sovereign land after gaining independence from Spain. At the same time, Guyana believes it was part of British Guiana, which later became independent as Guyana.
In early December, Maduro held a referendum in Venezuela regarding annexing a portion of Guyana. Just a few days after the referendum, Maduro announced the annexation of Guyana's territory and presented a new map of the country on television, including the disputed region.
In mid-December, Maduro announced that he had reached an agreement with the leader of Guyana to resolve the dispute and continue negotiations peacefully. Both sides have stated that they will not use force.
