US expresses support for Guyana's sovereignty amid border tensions with Venezuela

FILE PHOTO: A member of the National Assembly of the Assembly holds a map showing the disputed Esequibo region as part of Venezuela, as tensions between the Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up in recent weeks over a long-running territorial dispute, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday reiterated the United States' "unwavering support" for Guyana's sovereignty amid growing border tensions between Guyana and Venezuela.

The long-running spat over the oil-rich Esequibo region, which is being heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), escalated over the weekend when voters in Venezuela rejected the ICJ's jurisdiction and backed the creation of a new Venezuelan state.