Guyana, US ink landmark pact to enhance military partnership

…“This is the era of action” – President Ali

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana, President Dr Irfaan Ali, has said that the time has come for action as Guyana moves to further deepen its military cooperation with the United States.
The Guyanese leader made these remarks on Wednesday at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, where he joined US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to sign a “landmark” agreement to establish an enhanced defence partnership between the two countries.
During the engagement, President Ali pointed out that there has been a lot of talk about security and stability in the region for a long time.
But according to Ali, “This is the era of action; this is the era of leadership; this is the era of domination and commitment, and we’re very happy to be part of this partnership.”
In fact, the Head of State further noted that Guyana looks forward to working with the US in a stronger way to ensure the security and stability of the region.
“The things that are critical for stability in the region, sustainable [for] long-term prosperity and stability, are the very things you’re pursuing – a region that’s free from narco-trafficking, free from international actors that are bad for the region, free from terrorism and free from any thinking from any group or cell anywhere in the world that this is a region where they can find a home,” Ali said.
In a subsequent social media post following Wednesday’s signing, the President noted that this landmark declaration builds on a multi-decade partnership Guyana has with the United States and represents an important step in strengthening the defence of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also reflects the strategic importance both countries attach to the security and stability of Guyana and the wider Western Hemisphere.

Joint declaration
Under this Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defence Partnership, the US Department of War will provide sustained defence expertise, multidomain training and combined military exercises with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), supporting Guyana’s continued efforts to develop a modern, strategic defence architecture.
Additionally, this renewed cooperation with the US will also strengthen Guyana’s air-domain awareness and our capacity to monitor, deter and respond to threats within and around its territory.
Importantly, the declaration further reinforces the two countries’ shared commitment to confronting narco-terrorist organisations and narcotrafficking. It builds on Guyana’s and the United States’ founding roles in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC, or A3C) and the Shield of the Americas – established in March 2026 by President Trump to collectively fight criminal networks in the Western Hemisphere.
According to the Guyanese Leader, “Together, we are sending a clear message that Guyana and its partners stand ready to deter malign states and non-state actors that threaten our peace, sovereignty and regional security. This agreement marks another significant milestone in our expanding strategic partnership with the United States, which now encompasses security, energy, trade and investment.”
“As Guyana continues to strengthen its leadership role in the hemisphere, we remain committed to building partnerships grounded in mutual respect, shared prosperity, security, and the protection of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taking the lead
Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has lauded Guyana for its leadership role when it comes to combatting narco-terrorism across the region.
“Your leadership across the region with key Caribbean partners has been indispensable,” Hegseth told Ali. “Countries look to you. You’ve taken the lead, you’ve stepped out, laying the foundation for what we’re doing in the hemisphere.”

The Secretary of War further noted that shared challenges include narco-terrorism and military influence from outside the Western Hemisphere. He added that by exercising President Donald J Trump’s corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, the two nations will push back on those threats.
“We’ve only just begun on that project, and your investment has inspired confidence for us,” Hegseth said. “I hope you’ve seen that our investment has inspired confidence in you, in security forces, in our militaries and in the landmark joint declaration today to further elevate our defence cooperation on our all-domain partnership.”
Hegseth said that with the right means, the two nations can solve these issues “to empower your sovereignty, your people, your security [and] your prosperity along with ours.”
The United States will intensify combined training in multidomain operations and in air interdiction, he added.
Regarding critical minerals, Guyana’s pursuit of a Memorandum of Understanding with the US is crucial to the nations’ collective security and will bolster a shared defence industrial base.
The signing of Wednesday’s pact to enhance military cooperation comes just weeks after President Ali attended the second meeting of the Shield of America in New York, where a number of coordinated actions were agreed upon, including imposing sanctions and other measures on at least 24 narco-terrorist groups.
At that meeting convened on the side-lines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, member states adopted a Joint Communiqué declaring their intent to strengthen the resilience of the Western Hemisphere based on three pillars – economic, security and multilateral coordination.