The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has suspended further talks with Guyana on the appointment of a new Ambassador to Caracas. According to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Maduro decision followed statements made by Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge at the Florida Conference on Current Caribbean issues put on by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce  last weekend.

Among his statements, the Foreign Minister has said that Maduro’s latest claim on the Essequibo, which includes this country’s maritime space, stemmed from attempts to access oil and other resources.

As a result, Maduro has ordered his Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Rodríguez to halt negotiations on the appointment of a new Guyanese Ambassador in Caracas. The new David Granger administration has announced plans to appoint new ambassadors at diplomatic missions around the world. The current Ambassador is Geoff DaSilva.