John Bolton Tells Newsmax: The Essequibo Conflict Carries Significant Implications

Former National Security Adviser and U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said Thursday on Newsmax that Venezuela and Guyana’s brewing conflict over the Essequibo region has “huge economic implications.”

Joining “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Bolton, a longtime State Department official in Republican administrations, warned of the effects a potential war between the two could have for the U.S.

While Venezuela has laid claim to the resource-rich Essequibo region for centuries, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is interested in it now because of “huge offshore oil finds” by ExxonMobil in 2015, Bolton explained.

“I think we’ve got a very direct interest,” Bolton argued, adding that if companies “continue to drill unimpeded in Guyanese territory offshore and on-shore, nobody needs Venezuela’s reserves and the infrastructure of Venezuela’s petroleum industry.”

“It may not be the entire future of Exxon or Chevron and the other big companies. But for the United States … to be able to get oil from this hemisphere rather than farther away – this has huge economic implications,” Bolton said.

Maduro and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali met Thursday morning at Kingstown’s airport in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, alongside representatives of the United Nations and Caribbean nations.

The pair said they were committed to ensuring peace even as they continue to negotiate the future of the 62,000-square-mile jungle region.

Still, Ali assured Guyana would not bow down to Venezuela’s demands for Essequibo.

“All of this belongs to Guyana,” Ali told reporters at a press conference in Kingstown. “No narrative propaganda (or) decree can change this. This is Guyana.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
• Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE — See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com