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The long-standing territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana took a dramatic turn on March 1 when an armed Venezuelan patrol ship reportedly entered Guyana's waters and its personnel "threatened" workers on a US oil company's facility, triggering international concerns between the neighbouring countries.

In response, the US Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs took to X on March 1 in support of Guyana.

A post said: "Venezuelan naval vessels threatening ExxonMobil's floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is unacceptable and a clear violation of Guyana's internationally recognised maritime territory."