Britain will send a naval ship off Guyana later this month, its Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. The South American nation faces a border dispute with neighbor Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region.
A British junior foreign minister visited Guyana earlier this month, intending to offer the UK’s support for the country, an ally and former British colony. Guyana and Venezuela agreed earlier this month to avoid the use of force and curb tensions from escalating in the long-running dispute.
Generally recognized as a part of Guyana, the Essequibo region in recent years has seen tension as Venezuela reaffirmed its claim to the territory and offshore areas after significant oil and gas discoveries. The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that Britain will deploy the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent. The statement did not refer to Venezuela or the border dispute. A spokesperson said, “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.”
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