Caracas, July 28 (Xinhua-RHC)-- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is in New York to meet with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over Caracas' rights in a century-old territorial dispute with Guyana, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said.

Maduro traveled to the United Nations headquarters in New York for a special meeting on Tuesday with Ban to "defend Venezuela after the recent aggressions by the new government of Guyana," said the minister.

"The secretary-general, who will also defend Venezuela's rights over the Essequibo territory, will receive first-hand information from our president," said Rodriguez in a Twitter account.

Rodriguez said Maduro "guarantees peace and the legitimate rights of Venezuelans" over this issue that has caused political tension between Caracas and Georgetown over the last few weeks after U.S. transnational oil giant Exxon Mobil made an offshore oil discovery.

Rodriguez met with Ban on July 10th to deliver him a letter from Maduro regarding this issue.
Maduro has recently denounced the current impasse with Georgetown as part of a campaign against Caracas headed by Exxon Mobil and political groups in Washington.

The dispute stems from an 1899 court ruling that required Venezuela to relinquish an undeveloped but resource-rich jungle territory called the Essequibo, which constitutes about two thirds of Guyanese territory.

Caracas contends the ruling was invalid after a treaty was signed in 1966 with Guyana and its former colonial power, Britain.