OPINION: The state of Guyana, US relations

Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, 22:28 by Writer

By Sharmini Rampersaud

Guyana is an ally of the United States with an asymmetrical interdependence relationship.

‘Our analysis of interdependence is developed in chapter 1, which links interdependence to power through the concept of asymmetrical interdependence as a power resource. ‘It is asymmetries in interdependence,’ we wrote, ‘that are most likely to provide sources of influence for actors in their dealings with one another’. This concept, that asymmetrical interdependence is a source of power, can be found clearly in Albert Hirschman’s National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade (chapter 6), as well as in Kenneth Waltz’s article on ‘The Myth of National Interdependence.’ (Power and Interdependence Revisited (following Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition) by Robert O. Keohane; Joseph S. Nye, in International Organization, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Autumn, 1987), pp. 725-753 Published by: The MIT Press) (https://docs.neu.edu.tr/staff/nur.koprulu/power_and_interdependece_11.pdf).

Guyana’s relationship with the US goes beyond political and economic. It is also cultural and geopolitical. Guyana, because of its geographic location, was considered the gateway to Latin America. Its boundaries encompass countries in the Caribbean Sea considered the third border. Culturally Guyana and the US share a common language and mixed population. Culture and geography make the two interdependent. Geographic location makes Guyana a strategic hub to the continent of Asia and Africa. This is critical for US security policy. Economically Guyana has easy access to a large and viable US market. There it’s viable for Guyana to export any produce to the US. The US would like Guyana to maintain its democratic norms that would translate into the US values in the region. Those links make the two mutually dependent on each other.

More importantly Guyana and the US are interdependent on security and economic interests. When US Secretary of State Rubio visited Guyana, he stated ‘The basic element of progress, transformation and prosperity is always security…We want to make sure that some of the tragic regional problems that exist with transnational crime…never reach here. And that’s why today’s MoU and the work we’ll do together is…designed to prevent it from ever taking root,’ Rubio posited.

Similarly, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali stated, ‘Our joint commitment to enhanced partnership in combating transnational crime, inclusive of narco-trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and all forms of smuggling, is reflected in the enhanced MoU signed today,’ (https://caracas.mission.gov.gy/news/guyana-us-ink-mou-deepen-security-cooperation-address-regional-challenges) This relationship was further cemented by the US Special Envoy Kristi Noem and her delegation visit to Guyana on March 25th, 2026 and having security discussion with President Ali. The discussions focused on joint efforts to combat transnational crime, disrupt cartel activity, strengthen border security, address illegal migration and promote economic opportunities, stated the US Embassy’s official social media page. (DPI) Further drone technology was discussed to be used to monitor Guyana’s air space and EEZ according to the US and Guyana (News Source).

There are energy and economic security intertwinement between these two countries. The largest US Oil and Gas company ExxonMobil is in Guyana. According to ExxonMobil Guyana, daily oil production hits 900,000 barrels. Production capacity from eight developments is expected to reach 1.7 million barrels of oil by 2030. (ExxonMobil Guyana). ExxonMobil Guyana is also investing 100 million in STEM education in Guyana. On the other hand Guyana gets paid for its crude and that money is used for the development of the country.

There were high profile visits from US Government officials to Guyana as never seen before starting with Former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, followed in the Biden Administration by Secretary Antony Blinken and Central Intelligence Director William J. Burns. The present United State Secretary of State Marco Rubio came to Guyana, too. This was reciprocated by Guyanese President Ali visiting the US especially the US tech hub Silicon Valley. The Guyanese President was also honored by US universities.

With an asymmetrical relationship there is the argument that the dominant power, in this case the US, could hold the power. But as Joseph S. Nye and Robert O. Keohane stated in their book Power and Interdependence, “Yet the point holds even in more cooperative interstate relations. In the Canadian-American relationship, for example, the use or threat of force is virtually excluded from consideration by either side. The fact that Canada has less military strength than the United States is therefore not a major factor in the bargaining process. The Canadians can take advantage of their superior position on economic issues as oil and natural gas export without fearing military retaliation or threat by the United States. Moreover, other conditions of contemporary international interdependence tend to limit the abilities of states to manipulate asymmetrical interdependence. In particular, the smaller state may have greater internal political unity than the larger one.” This argument was buttressed by the Canadian Prime Minister’s address at Davos 2026 calling for middle powers to work together to deal with “Great Powers rivalry.”