OPINION: Guyana’s foreign policy alone can situate it as an emerging middle power

Last Updated on Saturday, 12 April 2025, 18:03 by Writer

By Sharmini Rampersaud (Certificate in Law and Politics)

Is Guyana on the road to becoming an emerging middle power. This can be done by testing the hypothesis on Guyana’s trajectory so far. This is looked at by studying comparatively the countries that are already middle powers. First according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “In international relations the term middle power refers to a state that wields less influence on the world stage than a superpower. As the term suggests, middle powers fall in the middle of the scale measuring a country’s international influence.” 

I attempted to look at the Middle East, including countries such as Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, as well as other aspiring middle powers, like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. I must say these countries had to start from somewhere before they achieved middle powers status though not perfect but especially their foreign policies. Guyana’s newly found oil resources moved the country to high income status according to the recent World Bank classification. 

There is research from Georgetown University Qatar Center for International and Regional Studies that poses these questions: “[H]ow and why do Middle Eastern middle powers engage in global trade, participate in international and regional institutions, engage in peace-building operations and humanitarian missions, form alliances, and join security communities? How do they interact with super and great powers, with other middle powers, and with regional rivals? And what factors contribute to the rise and decline of middle powers in the Middle East?” Guyana’s geographical location as a leader in Caricom and a leader in Latin America gives it a leeway to influence global policy especially in climate change and global security. 

Further, Guyana can be looked upon as an emerging middle power following the footsteps of Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and Indonesia. Looking back to the Cold War, Guyana navigated between allying with the US, the USSR and The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Today Guyana is an oil state and sits on the United Nations Security Council and must navigate its foreign policy. Examples at the UN – Guyana voted to condemn Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Guyana also voted in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza while supporting the mission in Haiti.

Like South Africa and Turkey, Guyana’s domestic affairs are not perfect. It should be remembered that Canada didn’t support the invasion of Iraq though an ally of the US. Also South Africa didn’t support the ICC warrant on President Putin but filed the case at the ICC on Israel. Brazil also condemned Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine while calling for peace talks. In this context, I see Guyana becoming an emerging middle power.

Guyana is a regional and leader in the OAS, CELAC and Mercosur. She enjoys good relationship with most African and Asian countries based on trust. She is also the ally of the sole superpower, the United States of America. Only this week USAID’s “Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman held talks with senior Guyanese government leaders, civil society, and business leaders to discuss ways USAID can continue supporting inclusive economic growth, shared prosperity, and good governance in Guyana” (U.S. Embassy Guyana). Also, “Guyana continues to lead on critical issues in the Americas such as energy, food security, climate solutions, & restoring stability to Haiti” (Brian A. Nichols).

In developing a foreign policy for the long-term Guyana can be looked to be an emerging middle power. Except for Iran, the other countries of the Middle East are already in the Caribbean and Guyana.

This perspective was first published in Global Caribbean.