Venezuelan forces return to bases following UK warship withdrawal
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The Venezuelan Defense Minister announces that the President has ordered the forces to "withdraw a part of the air and naval assets to their respective bases."
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Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro accompanied by his Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino waves upon his arrival in Caracas, Venezuela on May 2, 2019. (AP)
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino declared that some of the personnel deployed around the nation in reaction to the deployment of a British vessel in the waters off Guyana will return to their posts.
In a social media post, Padrino stated that the President of Venezuela has ordered the forces to "withdraw a part of the air and naval assets to their respective bases."
Ante la salida del buque de guerra británico HMS “Trent” de las aguas en litigio, el C/J @NicolasMaduro ha ordenado pasar a una nueva fase del Ejercicio de Acción Conjunta “Sifontes” y replegar parte de los medios aeronavales a sus respectivas bases. De igual manera felicitó… pic.twitter.com/L4Z2fBy4yL
— Vladimir Padrino L. (@vladimirpadrino) December 31, 2023
He stated that the national armed forces will remain vigilant in the region for any potential provocations.
The Venezuelan Defense Minister previously warned that until the United Kingdom draws out the warship it had deployed off Guyana's coast, Venezuela will continue to deploy its military forces across the country.
Last week, Britain decided to dispatch a naval ship, the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent, to the waters coasting Guayana.
Slamming the action, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said it violated the "spirit" of an agreement signed between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities and called the deployment "practically a military threat" from Britain.
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.
Published by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the statement said, "Guyana and Venezuela, directly or indirectly, will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances, including those consequential to any existing controversies between the two States."
