Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali met senior officials from the United States Department of War this week as Washington sharpens its posture toward Venezuela amid rising regional tensions.
Patrick Weaver, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of War, and Joseph Humire, Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Western Hemisphere Affairs, held talks with Ali in Georgetown, reaffirming U.S. support for Guyana’s territorial integrity amid a long-running territorial controversy with Venezuela.
The U.S. Embassy said the visit aimed to strengthen a “strategic partnership” and expand cooperation on regional security.
Guyana’s Office of the President said both countries signed a Statement of Intent to broaden joint military cooperation “with full respect for the sovereignty and laws of both countries.”
The meeting was attended by U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot and Guyanese officials, including Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan.
The talks come as the United States imposes new sanctions on individuals linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as well as crude oil tankers and shipping companies tied to his family. Washington has increased pressure on Caracas while seeking political change there, and Reuters has reported on a U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean.
On Wednesday, U.S. authorities seized a sanctioned tanker, the Skipper, in international waters off Venezuela and informed Guyana that the vessel had been falsely flying the Guyanese flag. The tanker is understood to be part of a “shadow fleet” used to move Venezuelan crude covertly.
The United States has repeatedly pledged to help defend Guyana’s sovereignty, including in the context of the Essequibo issue. Ali’s meeting with U.S. war officials follows recent engagements between the Guyana Defence Force and military counterparts from Brazil and France’s forces in French Guiana.
