Guyana Asks US To Help Boost Its Military Amid Essequibo Dispute With Venezuela

The government of Guyana has announced that it is seeking aid from the United States to beef up its defensive capabilities. This comes as Venezuela continues to send troops to its border amid the Essequibo territorial dispute, stoking fears that the country might try and annex the oil-rich Essequibo territory.

Top US Department of Defense official Daniel P. Erikson recently visited the South American country and held talks with its president, as well as other politicians and military leaders, with Guyana admitting that they asked the Americans for help with their military.

Erikson was there to discuss defense and security partnerships, and the talks ended last Tuesday. The US Defense official left promising that the country would help Guyana out in creating a "more organized and better-equipped military in coming months."

However, according to the Associated Press, the US official did not provide further details but did say that "security forces and specialized training teams that have visited Guyana in the past year will continue to do so in 2024."

Guyana Looking To Modernize Defensive Capabilities With Help From US, Says US Defense Official

Before leaving Guyana, Erikson spoke with reporters and revealed that the country is now seeking to modernize its military and defensive capabilities. This includes beefing up Guyana's cybersecurity amid fears of a possible Venezuelan invasion.

"One thing of great interest to us is ensuring that as Guyana looks to increase its defense capacities, it does so through a plan that is strategic, nested in its overall defense institutions, and sustainable over time," said the US Department of Defense official, who also stated that the meeting with Guyanese officials has been productive and the US is now aware what needs to be done to improve its defenses.

"We are looking forward to working with them, especially deepening information sharing," Erikson told the media. "We do recognize that Guyana's at a turning point in terms of its own economic development, in terms of the regional role that it is capable of playing, and so we want to make sure that our defense relationship with Guyana continues to meet the times as the situation in Guyana continues to evolve."

The spat over the Essequibo region has been going on for over a century now, and many think it was settled after an international arbitration granted Guyana control of the territory in 1899. However, when ExxonMobil found huge deposits of oil and gas off Guyana's coast in 2015, Venezuela restarted its claim and even stepped up its aggression.

Venezuela Holding Military Exercises Off Eastern Caribbean as British Warship Arrives in Guyana

As the British warship, the HMS Trent, headed to Guyana for military exercises with the former British colony, Venezuela responded by conducting military exercises of its own right near Guyanese waters in the Eastern Caribbean,

According to the Turks and Caicos Sun, Maduro described the ship's arrival in Guyana as a threat to his country, arguing that the UK sending it there violates a recent agreement between the country and Guyana.

However, Guyanese officials say Venezuela has nothing to fear with the ship's visit, with Guyanese Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo commenting, "Nothing that we do or have done is threatening Venezuela."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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