Defence

by Retired Rear Admiral, Dr Gary Best The Ali administration seems not to understand, or deliberately misunderstands the concept of defence diplomacy. See my opinions published by Demerara Waves Online on September 2023 and February 2024. And even less interested in spending taxpayers’ dollars to defend Guyana, as a priority. Defence diplomacy is a conjoined term. It means the ability ...

A French company has sealed a deal with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to build a US$42-million military offshore patrol vessel (OPV), a move that has triggered a sharp rebuke by Venezuela. “The price of the vessel includes the cost of the vessel and its equipment and the integrated logistics support services inclusive of training for a five-year period,” the ...

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday unanimously supported respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law, at a closed door meeting that Guyana requested to address Venezuela’s moves to possibly seize the Essequibo Region. “I think Venezuela found it hard to find a friend,” a source told Demerara Waves Online News on condition of anonymity. “I think the ...

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is Tuesday set to discuss Venezuela’s latest effort to lay claim to the Essequibo Region, a move that the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is worried that could lead to physical action against Guyana. CARICOM said that in its adoption of “the Organic Law for the Defence of Guyana Essequiba”, the Venezuelan government has acted ...

Guyana on Wednesday vowed not to allow Venezuela’s take over of any part of its territory, in rejecting President Nicolas Maduro’s activation of legislation to make Essequibo a new state in keeping with last December’s referendum. “Guyana wishes to put on notice the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Governments of the Caribbean Community and the Latin American ...

Two weeks after Guyana signed a US$23.27 million deal to buy two India-made Dornier aircraft for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), two India Air Force  transport planes touched down at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Sunday with the two planes, sources said. The two Boeing C-17 Globemaster military transport planes arrived in Guyana shortly after 6 PM Sunday with ...

Guyana’s Attorney General, Anil Nandlall on Tuesday urged members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to condemn the Venezuelan government’s violation of international law by most recently passing a law to incorporate Essequibo as part of its territory. “While time will not permit us at this conference to collectively condemn the actions of Venezuela, there is still much to be done. ...

France has agreed to supply vessels to boost Guyana’s maritime patrol capacity, the two countries said Tuesday. “As part of the ongoing security cooperation, on March 25, 2024 Guyana announced the acquisition of maritime patrol assets from France. This is a further illustration of the commitment of the two sides to strengthen the bilateral relationship,” France and Guyana said in ...

Opposition shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Roysdale Forde has recommended broad-based national dialogue on  Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in the wake of the Venezuela’s government’s passage of a law to make Essequibo a Venezuelan state. “In response to these challenging times, I urge the President of Guyana, Mr. Irfaan Ali, to exercise decisive leadership by convening ...

-Todd promises swift meeting Opposition Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amanza Walton-Desir on Friday officially wrote Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd requesting a meeting of the parliiamentary bipartisan Foreign Relations Committee. Mr Todd told Demerara Waves Online News that the meeting would be called very soon on his return to Guyana. “It is going to be done. We can have ...