Venezuela will not give in to the intimidation of those who want to take away our historic rights, said Foreign Minister Gil.

On Thursday, Venezuela responded forcefully to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s threats regarding a possible military intervention in the Essequibo.

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“Marco Rubio doesn’t surprise us. We know that old script of threats and bravado with which a self-conscious person hopes to frighten sovereign peoples. Venezuela doesn’t give in to intimidation, nor does it give in to the blackmail of those who believe they can twist history or take away our historic rights with incendiary speeches. The sons of Simon Bolivar are not afraid of him,” Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil said.

“We are a peace-loving country; we will defend it using all available means, with the force of reason and the legitimacy of our rights. We neither need nor seek conflict, but neither will we allow foreign interests to try to rewrite reality regarding our Essequibo. That territory is and always will be Venezuelan, and its recovery will take place within the only valid framework: the 1966 Geneva Agreement,” he added

“Get your noses out of this controversy! We will not allow this to become a battleground for the interests of the transnational corporations of Exxon Mobil and your country’s military-industrial complex,” the Bolivarian diplomat stressed.

Previously, during a visit to Georgetown, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened military intervention in support of Guyana if Venezuela took action to defend its sovereign territory.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if it attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized at a press conference alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

“We have a large Navy, and it can reach almost anywhere, anywhere in the world. And we have ongoing commitments with Guyana,” said Rubio, who added that he would not go into details about potential U.S. actions.

“You have our full commitment and support. Today, we are demonstrating it in a tangible way, and we will seek ways to do so in the long term,” he added, alluding to the signing of a memorandum of understanding to strengthen U.S.-Guyana security cooperation.

Rubio’s statements follow a recent action by a Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol vessel that sought to expel ships supporting ExxonMobil’s offshore operations, including the Prosperity, a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel that is producing up to 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

This week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced that Guyana had become a subsidiary of the colonial company ExxonMobil. The accusation was made in reference to an announcement by the U.S. special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, stating that Washington seeks to consolidate a security agreement with the Guyanese government.

“The Essequibo belongs to Venezuela. That territory is a legacy of our great liberator, Simon Bolivar. That territory and all those waters are Bolivarian,” Maduro said in response to the U.S. policy aimed at securing oil for ExxonMobil in waters that have yet to be demarcated.

Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez escalated Venezuela’s rhetoric, releasing a communiqué that mocked Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and condemned U.S. interference.

In the statement, Rodríguez likened Ali to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of sabotaging dialogue for militarization:

“The Zelensky of the Caribbean, Irfaan Ali, with his tight pants, sought out the tiny U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to threaten Venezuela. Both threaten the peace and stability of our region.”

Rodríguez accused Ali of abandoning the Argyle Mechanism—a regional dialogue initiative—in favor of “actions of a warrior strain.” Her message left no room for ambiguity:

“It must be very clear: Venezuela will never give up its rights over the Guayana Esequiba, nor will we be intimidated by those who trample international law. Guyana must IMMEDIATELY halt its illegal and abusive exploitation of a sea yet to be demarcated and return to the negotiating table. ¡No more threats!”

Invoking Venezuela’s revolutionary legacy, she concluded with a defiant warning:
“We are the worthy heirs of the GREAT LIBERATOR, Simón Bolívar. Don’t you dare!”

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