President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela issued a stern warning to Britain, cautioning against interference with his country, as he mobilized thousands of troops in response to the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to the region.

In his statement, Maduro referred to Britain as a “decadent, rotten, ex-empire” while directing the deployment of troops into defensive maneuvers in anticipation of the arrival of HMS Trent, dispatched to support the neighboring nation of Guyana in an ongoing territorial dispute.

On Sunday, Britain announced its decision to redirect the patrol vessel to the former British colony, amid Venezuela’s longstanding contention over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

A source from the Guyana foreign ministry, speaking anonymously to AFP, revealed that the ship is expected to arrive on Friday and will be present in Guyana’s territory for “less than a week” to conduct open sea defense exercises, with no plans to dock in Georgetown, the Telegraph reported.

Maduro said he was launching “a joint action of a defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the United Kingdom against peace and the sovereignty of our country”

The Venezuelan government earlier asked Guyana, in a statement, “to take immediate action for the withdrawal of the HMS Trent, and to refrain from involving military powers in the territorial controversy”.

Maduro asserts that Essequibo, comprising approximately two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, belongs to Venezuela.

The longstanding dispute has reignited in recent years, fueled by the discovery of substantial oil deposits in the region’s waters.

Written by B.C. Begley

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