The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and local national security leadership last week held follow-up discussions with the newly appointed United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, Joseph M. Humire.
According to the GDF, this marked the first engagement with Mr. Humire since his appointment, building on recent high-level talks between Georgetown and Washington and underscoring the continued importance of the Guyana–U.S. defence partnership amid evolving regional security dynamics.
National Security Advisor Gerry Gouveia, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan, and Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency Colonel Sheldon Howell led the local delegation. They were joined by U.S. officials from the U.S. Security Cooperation Office in Guyana.
During the engagement, Gouveia reaffirmed the shared values of democracy, stability, and security that anchor bilateral relationships. Brigadier Khan highlighted recent areas of military collaboration, while Colonel Howell discussed opportunities to expand cooperation across key domains of mutual interest.
“This first engagement with Mr. Humire, following his appointment, not only reinforced Guyana’s enduring defence partnership with the United States but also paved the way for deeper collaboration to address shared challenges across the Western Hemisphere,” the GDF said.
This high-level engagement came on the heels of local security officials recently meeting with a US Staff Delegation led by Counsel at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Meredith Werner, for a series of engagements aimed at reinforcing the strong defence partnership between Guyana and the United States.
The roundtable discussions focused on mutual areas of interest, ongoing collaboration, and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in support of Guyana’s national defence and security objectives.
This cooperation, it noted, was reinforced during the recent meeting between Staff members from several U.S. congressional committees and local stakeholders including Guyanese civilian and military leaders as they work to promote a safer, secure and prosperous region.
According to the embassy, the visiting delegation saw the tangible results of this maritime cooperation at the GDF Coast Guard HQ, where they observed the GDF’s ability to monitor Guyana’s coastline with maritime radar and analysis tools.
Only last week, the US announced that it would be deploying air and naval forces to combat to the Latin America and Caribbean Region to combat drug cartels that are posing threats to US security.
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