US Department of Defence Officials expected in Guyana

Vice President Bharratt Jagdeo has announced that high-level officials from the US Department of Defence will be arriving in Guyana next week, as Guyana moves to enhance its Defence co-operation with bilateral partners in wake of increased threats from Venezuela.

While repeatedly emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace within the Region, the Vice President said the Guyana will be working with its allies, including the US, to plan for any and all eventualities.

“We are going to be working with on greater defence cooperation with a number of countries. We will have from the US Department of Defence, next week, two visits to Guyana by two teams, and then several other visits in the month of December, and high-level presence representation from the Department of Defence here. We are not going to succumb to Venezuela’s bullyism,” the Vice President said.

Mr. Jagdeo said while the planned Venezuelan Referendum is being seen by some as a political tactic by the Venezuelan Government to round-up support ahead of the 2024 Elections, Guyana must put systems in place to protect its borders.

“We can’t just think that this is internal politics without taking all possible measures to protect our country, including working with others, and all the options available to us to defend our country will be pursued. Every option,” the Vice President emphasized.