Venezuelan President Maduro claims US is building bases in 'disputed Esequibo'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spoke at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas.

Maduro stated that the US military is building secret military bases in the Esequibo region, which is disputed with neighboring Guyana.

Accusing the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US Southern Command, Maduro said, "We have verified information regarding this matter. They are building military bases ready for attack. These bases contain plans for attacks against the population in the south and east of Venezuela. We must be prepared and keep our morale high in the face of these events."

Emphasizing that Guyanese President Irfaan Ali is unable to govern his country, Maduro stated, "Guyana is being run by the US oil company Exxon Mobil, and the wealth of the region in question is practically being exploited with the permission of the current administration."

The Esequibo region dispute between Venezuela and Guyana dates back to the period before Guyana's independence.

During the time when Guyana was a British colony, the Esequibo River was designated as Guyana's western border according to the 1899 border arbitration decision.

However, Guyana, which gained its independence in 1966 and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970, did not recognize this border and declared that Esequibo belonged to it.

Currently, the region known as the Esequibo region or Guyana Esequiba is located west of the Esequibo River in central Guyana and in the north of the country.

It is stated that the region is extremely rich in terms of natural resources.

News Source: AA