Washington (AFP) - The White House expressed concern Wednesday at mounting tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over a disputed, oil-rich border region, saying it wants them to avoid any "violence" or "conflict."
"It's concerning, we're watching this very, very, very closely," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters when asked about the situation between the neighboring countries.
"We obviously don't want to see any violence occur here or conflict occur."
Venezuela held a controversial referendum on Sunday on the fate of the Essequibo region -- or Esequiba as it is known in Venezuela -- that yielded an overwhelming 95-percent "yes" vote for Caracas' designs on the territory.
When asked if President Joe Biden was personally following the situation, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added Wednesday that "obviously the president is aware of what's going on."
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro proposed on Tuesday that a bill be sent to the National Assembly for the creation of a "Guyana Esequiba" province in the region Guyana has administered for over a century.
Brazil's army said Wednesday it was reinforcing its presence in nearby cities.
The dispute over the region, which makes up more than two-thirds of Guyana's territory and is home to 125,000 of Guyana's 800,000 citizens, has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered oil there in 2015.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague last week urged Venezuela to take no action that might affect the disputed territory, but did not grant Guyana's request for urgent intervention.
Kirby said the decision by the UN's top court "needs to be respected."
