Venezuelan President Maduro Condemns British Warship Placement In Guyana

JAKARTA - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said the deployment of British warships to waters off the coast of Guyana violated the excitation'' agreement reached between Venezuelan and Guyana authorities.

British Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Trent visited Guyana, Britain's ally and former colony, as part of a series of engagements in the region, Britain's Defense Ministry said in a statement earlier this month, without referring to Venezuela or border disputes.

"This is a violation of the spirit of dialogue, diplomacy and peace in the agreement," said President Maduro.

President Maduro further said the deployment was "practice a military threat from London."

Presiden Maduro telah memerintahkan "penaktifkan aksi pertahan bersama Angkatan Bersenjata Nasional Bolivarian" di luar pantai Essequibo, katanya dalam siaran televisi negara, namun tidak memberikan informasi lebih lanjut.

Military leaders in eastern Venezuela said in the broadcast that 5,600 uniformed personnel were ready for the operation.

In a separate statement, Venezuela's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "taking all its actions, within the framework of the Constitution and International Law, to maintain maritime and territorial integrity."

It is known that Guyana and Venezuela earlier this month agreed to avoid the use of violence and avoid an increase in tensions, in a prolonged border dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

The 160,000-square km (62,000 square miles) Essequibo region is generally recognized as part of Guyana. But in recent years, Venezuela has revived its claims to the region and the offshore region, following the discovery of large amounts of oil and gas.