Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced Thursday that the country unequivocally condemns recurrent US provocations, as Washington prepares to fly two F-18 fighters over Guyana's airspace.

The US Embassy in Guyana announced early Thursday that two F/A-18F fighters from the US aircraft carrier George Washington will fly over the country's capital, Georgetown. The trip takes place amid rising tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the Essequibo area.

Venezuela last month provided a written document to the International Court of Justice ICJ in response to Guyana's case regarding their dispute over the Essequibo region.

Venezuela achieved independence from Spain in 1845, with Essequibo acknowledged as part of its territory. However, in 1899, Britain filed a successful arbitration claim to establish Essequibo as part of its then-Caribbean colony of British Guiana.

On December 15, Guyana and Venezuela agreed to avert the use of force and threats to settle the disputed Essequibo territory to resolve matters of conflict within international law, such as the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

In late March, Venezuela's National Assembly (AN) unanimously approved the Law for the Defense of the Guayana Esequiba.

Lopez expressed on X that "We had already warned about the threat to regional peace posed by the presence of the USS George Washington in the Caribbean," adding that "Now they announce the takeoff of F-18 planes to fly over ‘Georgetown and its vicinities’. The Bolivarian Nacional Armed Forces categorically reject the repeated provocations by the [US] Southern Command."

Una prueba más de las provocaciones que desde el Comando Sur de los EEUU se hacen a #Venezuela, como lo ha denunciado el Presidente @NicolasMaduro en reiteradas ocasiones, se ha activado una maquinaria de guerra contra nuestro país.

Las apetencias de la Exxon Mobil no tienen… https://t.co/2gJkuhUoCv

— Yvan Gil (@yvangil) May 9, 2024

Padrino Lopez asserted that the provocations could only occur with the help of Guyana, a country that has embraced the position of a new North American colony, emphasizing that Venezuela's air defense system remains engaged to prevent any potential violations of its territory, particularly the oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo area, according to Padrino Lopez.

US built secret Essequibo bases ahead of attack on Venezuela: Maduro

The United States military's Southern Command has established secret military bases in Essequibo to the east of Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro revealed last month.

"We have information proving that in the territory of Guayana Esequiba, temporarily administered by Guyana, secret military bases of the (US) Southern Command and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been installed to prepare for launching attacks on the residents of Tumeremo and the southeastern Venezuela," Maduro said.

The Venezuelan President said that the US has done so in preparation for an escalation against Caracas. 

He stressed that his Guyanian counterpart, President Irfaan Ali, "does not govern Guyana" and that "Guyana is governed by the Southern Command, the CIA and ExxonMobil."

"I am not exaggerating. They control (Guyana's) congress, the two parties that form the government, the majority of the opposition, the government in its entirety, and Guyana's defenses and police," Maduro explained. 

"We will regain our historic rights in Guyana Esequiba scape sooner rather than later, I swear it!" Maduro stressed.