Guyana’s Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, said the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is implementing a focused military strategy to strengthen its capabilities as tensions with Venezuela persist.
“Yes, Venezuela has increased their aggression against Guyana,” Brigadier Khan stated on the premiere of Safeguarding Our Nation, a new public information programme streamed on Tuesday. “However, our borders were settled by the 1899 Arbitral Award. We stand resolute where our borders are concerned.”
He said the GDF is operating under a military strategy designed “to build, deploy and operate a smart, modern and resilient force, not only to defend Guyana, but also to contribute to economic development.”
Brigadier Khan emphasized that while Venezuela’s actions, including illegal referenda and the construction of a bridge to Ankoko Island, are serious, they are being assessed carefully.
“[The] claim to the Essequibo is more political theater than a military threat. We, however, are being cautious as a Defence Force,” he said.
Asked about Guyana’s ability to respond to a larger Venezuelan military, Khan rejected the notion that size alone determines success. “History would tell us that size does not translate into success. That is why we are focusing on strategy, on technology and partnership.”
Over the past five years, he said, investment in the GDF has grown by over 800%. “This was spread across several areas: technology, training, etcetera. And if I should tell you, our asset acquisition in the maritime sector, for example, we are soon to receive an ocean patrol vessel along with aerial assets to monitor our airspace and our Exclusive Economic Zone.”
Brigadier Khan also pointed to critical partnerships as key to Guyana’s national defence framework.
“Integral in this process is our partnership with the United States, our most important and strategic partner,” he said, also naming the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Colombia and CARICOM as allies that “hold dear the values of peace [and] respect for international law”.
Beyond direct threats, the Chief of Staff said the GDF is also addressing transnational criminal activity along Guyana’s 824-kilometer border with Venezuela.
“We play a supporting role to our law enforcement agencies,” he said, referencing partnerships with the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service, and other national bodies.
He closed with an appeal to Guyana’s youth to consider a life of national service.
“I look at my life back then, not knowing what I wanted to do, but finding myself while serving,” he said, recounting how his own three-year plan became a 30-year military career. “Even if you don’t know what you want, you will find yourself. The military is your calling.”
The border controversy is at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with Guyana seeking a decision by the Court that would end Venezuela’s aggression once and for all.
The case centers on the 1899 Arbitral Award, which legally determined the boundary between the two countries. After accepting the boundary for decades, Venezuela declared the award null and void in 1962 and has since claimed over two-thirds of Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo region.
