ALBAWABA - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the immediate exploitation of all natural resources in Guyana’s disputed Essequibo region, including the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas, and mines across the oil and mineral region.
On Tuesday, Maduro instructed the country's state-owned companies to issue operating licenses for the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas, and mines in Guyana's Essequibo region.
In a press conference, Maduro presented a map showing the Essequibo region as part of Venezuela, following the deployment of a military unit to Puerto Barima near the borders of the disputed territory, and announced a new military zone.
The series of events escalated following a referendum Maduro won in which more than 95% of the people supported Venezuelan sovereignty over the 160,000-square-kilometer (61,776-square-mile) Essequibo territory, causing concern and tension on the Guyanese side.
The Guyanese Attorney General Anil Nandlall said that his country will take action and will be asking the UN Security Council for help if Venezuela takes any action.
In April, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that it had jurisdiction over the dispute, which could determine which country has rights to the territory.
The ICJ issued an order on Friday ordering the Venezuelan government to "refrain from any action that modifies the situation currently in force" in Essequibo and both parties to "refrain from any action that could aggravate or extend the dispute." However, Maduro rejected the injunction issued by the court.
