While it was dubbed a simple “Flyover Exercise” by the US Embassy and the GDF, anyone who has been following the news in Venezuela knows that yesterday’s (9th of May, 2024) military maneuver by the US and Guyana was much more than that. It was a clear message of deterrent to Venezuela which is steadily encroaching on the Essequibo while making bold and absurd claims.
Yesterday, Thursday 9th of May, 2024, two U.S. Navy aircraft, F/A-18F Super Hornets conducted flights over Georgetown and its surroundings for about one hour. As the jets roared across the skies of Guyana, some citizens who hadn’t got the notification of the military activity were startled.
A military cooperation of this magnitude between Guyana and the United States is unprecedented. It is unlike anything that happened before. On top of that, the United States sent a strong message of deterrent to Venezuela as follows:
Members of the public are advised that this exercise builds upon our routine security cooperation and bilateral defense partnership with Guyana. As part of its worldwide defense mission, U.S. Navy vessels routinely transit international waters all over the world conducting similar exercises and exchanges with partners and allies.
This military exercise between Guyana and the United States came just days after news broke that Venezuela is building a bridge linking the Ankoko Island to the Essequibo. Venezuela’s Minister of Defense, Padrino Lopez, quickly came on air yesterday to condemn the military exercise and called it an act of provocation. He also called Guyana a “US colony” and Guyanese “US puppets.” But quickly pulling his tail between his legs, his aggression stopped right there. Nicolas Maduro has not breathed a word about the exercise so far.
Venezuelan military officials know that they cannot field a war with the United States. Yesterday’s military exercise was a serious escalation of the Guyana/Venezuela border crisis, but it served to deescalate the tension somewhat. Bullies only attack whom they perceive to be weaker than them. As long as EXXON MOBIL is operating in Guyana, we can count on the United States to stave off Venezuela. What happens when the oil dries up and the United States no longer has a strong enough interest in Guyana to warrant military protection? By then, Guyana hopefully will have forged enough military alliance and defense capabilities to keep Venezuela where they rightly belong.
Venezuela is not going to stop for now. They are all collectively sold on their absurd claim of the Essequibo. The longer we keep them at bay, the more absurd their claim becomes, and the harder it becomes for them to achieve their draconian objective.
