Defence

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said Guyana would not ask the United Kingdom (UK) to abandon the deployment of a warship to waters off this country’s coast, in the wake of Venezuela’s concerns that that is provocative. “No, the President has not asked the British vessel to move away from what was a planned activity and we see as ...

A Royal Navy patrol ship will be sent to Guyana in a show of British support for the Commonwealth country, the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper reported. The South American country is in a dispute with Venezuela over a mineral-rich border region. HMS Trent will take part in joint exercises with Guyana after Christmas. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “HMS Trent will ...

Guyana is planning to boost its defence capability, but Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said that decision was not linked to most recent threats by Venezuela’s to annex the county of Essequibo. “We have to spend more on defence, on ensuring that we grow our capability to protect our country,” he told his weekly news conference at ‘Freedom House’, ...

Guyana has paid up all of its dues to the Caribbean’s Regional Security System (RSS) totalling more than GY$300 million, Foreign Minister Hugh Todd said Tuesday during the National Assembly’s consideration of financial papers. Shadow Foreign Minister Amanza Walton-Desir asked the minister to explain why the House needed to approve the “very large” supplemental funding of GY$382,418,300 million to which ...

(Bloomberg) — One of the world’s most-influential insurance markets added Guyana to its list of the riskiest shipping zones amid an escalating territorial dispute with neighboring Venezuela. The decision announced by Lloyd’s Market Association’s Joint War Committee on Monday applies only to vessels visiting offshore installations in the Guyanese Exclusive Economic Zone outside the nation’s “territorial waters.” The move may ...

The United Kingdom’s Minister for the Americas and the Caribbean, David Rutley will Monday hold talks with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and meet with western nations’ ambassadors here to discuss support for this former British colony, the Foreign Office said. “The UK will continue to work with partners in the region, as well as through international bodies, to ensure the ...

By Dr. Randy Persaud, Professor Emeritus We should expect that in a time of existential threat, all political parties will put aside old partisan interests, and instead, rise like the Maginot Line to unreservedly defend the National Interest. And while the PNCR and Mr. Norton have answered that call with heads held high, we cannot say that the WPA’s initial ...

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has recommended that government buys more weapons for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and encourage Guyanese of all races to join that disciplined service, in the wake of uncertainty about Venezuelan aggression over its claim to the Essequibo Region. “WPA supports a weaponizing of the army to meet the current military challenges. This must be ...

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has welcomed the Guyana-Venezuela ‘peace pact’ that was brokered by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Brazil, but at the same time flayed the Irfaan Ali administration for not having preparatory talks. “On the positive side, I believe that there is some relaxation of tension, commitment to peace and ...

The President of Guyana,  Dr Irfaan Ali and Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro on Thursday night agreed to a peace accord after several hours of talks on the Caribbean island of St Vincent. According to the declaration that was read by the Pro-Tempore President of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (CELAC), St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister ...