Guyana army helicopter missing as tensions soar with Venezuela

BOGOTA, Colombia

A Guyana Defense Force helicopter with seven people on board was reported missing Wednesday when it departed Base Camp Ayanganna for Arau on the border with Venezuela, authorities said, amid an ongoing dispute between the two neighbors over an oil-rich territory.

Guyanese Army Chief of Staff Omar Khan told a press conference that he had no information to suggest that Venezuela had been involved in the helicopter’s disappearance.

However, the missing helicopter adds to tensions over a complex territorial dispute between the two countries over the Essequibo region, which both sides claim as their own.

While Guyana says its border with Venezuela was fixed by an arbitration tribunal in 1899, Venezuela says the Essequibo River forms a natural frontier recognized at the time of independence from Spain. The dispute intensified after ExxonMobil's first oil discovery in the territory eight years ago.

On Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a referendum in which Venezuelans supported his claim of sovereignty over Essequibo.

On Tuesday, Maduro ordered the country’s state-owned companies to “immediately” grant operating licenses for the exploitation of crude oil, gas and mines in the region. Venezuelan troops have been amassing on the border in recent days.

Guyana´s President Irfaan Ali responded Wednesday, saying his country is taking every necessary step to protect itself from Venezuela and that his government is reaching out to allies​​​​​​​ for help.

Officials from both countries have confirmed that they are engaging in diplomatic talks to address the territorial dispute.

The United States has expressed concern over the latest events. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that “it’s concerning.”

“We’re watching this very, very, very closely," he added.