U.S. to conduct flight operations in Guyana as concerns mount over border spat

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

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday said it would conduct flight operations within Guyana that build on its routine engagement as Britain and Brazil expressed concerns about 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 creation of a new Venezuelan state.