GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana’s foreign ministry is condemning what it says was a dangerous incursion into local waters, after a Norwegian ship hired by ExxonMobil was intercepted by a Venezuelan naval vessel.
The ship, Ramform Tethys, was contracted to conduct seismic work by the company in a block off Guyana’s coast.
It was approached Saturday morning by the Venezuelan navy, which did not board the ship and later left the area.
In a statement, the foreign ministry called the incident an “illegal, aggressive and hostile act” by Venezuela “which once again demonstrates the real threat to Guyana’s economic development by its western neighbor.”
It said that it would be bringing “this latest act of illegality and blatant disrespect for Guyana’s sovereignty” to the attention of the United Nations.
