Venezuela’s most recent belligerent act, the unprovoked and aggressive intrusion into Guyana’s maritime space, attracted widespread condemnation, including from the United States. This atrocity is certainly intended to intimidate Guyana and to escalate tensions. It may also well be that with a US company, Exxon, with partners, engaged in extracting oil from within Guyana’s EEZ, one of Venezuela’s objectives was to send a message to the US that it can create trouble in this region after the US terminated Chevron’s licence. Venezuela has got its answer in the US’s condemnation.