June 12th, 2015, 11:07 am
Venezuela in spat with Guyana over oil explorationQuoteVenezuela's President Nicolas Maduro demanded on Tuesday that neighbouring Guyana stop oil exploration in a disputed offshore territory.The exploration is being carried out by US oil giant ExxonMobil.(snip)Venezuela has been claiming the disputed mineral-rich region west of the Essequibo river as its own since the 19th Century.An international tribunal ruled in 1899 that the area formed part of Guyana, which at the time was a British colony.Venezuela never accepted the ruling, arguing it was unfair.On 20 May, ExxonMobil announced "a significant oil discovery" in the disputed area.