Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that the Venezuelan government confirmed the existence of a secret military base of the US Southern Command and a CIA camp in the Essequibo region disputed with Guyana.
Maduro made the remarks during a signing ceremony for the Guyana-Essequibo Territorial Protection Act, which was broadcast on the VTV television channel.
The Venezuelan president said that the disputed area and Guyana are now controlled by the (US military) Southern Command, the CIA and the US oil company ExxonMobil in order to seize Venezuela’s resources.
In a ceremony at the presidential palace, Maduro signed the Essequibo Protection Law, which was approved on first reading in December and provides for the creation of a new Venezuelan state west of the Essequibo River, including for these lands. A social assistance program was launched for all residents, a census was taken and documents were issued.
Venezuela ‘s territorial dispute with Britain and later neighboring Guyana over the Essequibo region began in the 19th century. The Venezuelan government has stepped up efforts to reclaim the territory after Guyanese authorities began turning over this mineral-rich disputed area of the continental shelf to oil companies for development.
