GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Venezuela that if it attacks oil assets in Guyana’s Stabroek Block or takes military action against Guyana it would face tough consequences.

Rubio was speaking during a press conference in Guyana on Thursday, following a bilateral meeting with President Dr Irfaan Ali.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like it…..it would not end well for them. I’m not going to get into details of what we’ll do.”

Rubio also pointed to the presence of a US Navy vessel currently in Guyana’s waters, saying this is “demonstrating our ability”.

He added that the US has a “big navy” and “we have commitments that exist today with Guyana”.

“We want to build on those, expand on those and we’ll leave it for the appropriate time, but suffice it to say that if, if that regime were to do something, such as that it would be a very bad move, it would be a big mistake for them,” he said.

On March 1, Venezuela sent a military offshore patrol vessel into Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and communicated with a number of ExxonMobil-operated floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels and other vessels, telling them that they were in Venezuelan waters that are disputed and yet to be delimited with Guyana.

Meanwhile, Ali pledged to afford the United States special treatment in exchange for Washington’s support for its defence and other areas.

Speaking during the news conference, the president said they discussed the impact that the imposition of fines on China-built ships would have on the Caribbean. It was at that juncture that he was quick to point out that Guyana would be flexible with the US, a “great friend of ours”.

“I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different and preferential treatment because a friend who will defend me when I need a friend to defend me, must be a friend that enjoys some special place in our hearts and in our country, and that will be the case,” he said.

Ali also said the US has made it very clear that it would “stand” by Guyana in its development, economic expansion, security and defence.

President Donald Trump’s administration said it envisioned a relationship with Guyana akin to those with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations.

“The security of Guyana is a key priority for us in the same way that we have been working with countries in the Gulf states to ensure the security cooperation from the regional threats there,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US special envoy on Latin America.

Rubio, who flew to Guyana after talks in Jamaica, will also stop later Thursday in neighbouring Suriname, whose own oil production is on the rise.