PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has described the training and tactical exercise conducted by the United States military in collaboration with Guyana and other regional partners a success. According to President Ali, the exercise helps to strengthen the decision-making capabilities of ranks in areas which will allow them to strategise better and, as a consequence, being in a better position to respond to a wide range of scenarios.

As pointed out by the President, the strategies and teamwork executed by the ranks are needed to combat the changing nature of crime not only in Guyana but the region as a whole.

Operation Tradewinds is a joint, combined exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defence forces and constabularies to counter transnational organised crime and to conduct humanitarian/disaster relief operations.

The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-sponsored annual Operation Tradewinds Exercise was hosted by Guyana this year. The training programme continues to play a vital role in enhancing regional security synergy and cooperation among the participating nations.

The exercise took place against the background of a devastating flood situation, the worst experienced by Guyanese in living memory.

Operation Tradewinds dates back to the 1980s and is a multi-dimensional regional security-oriented exercise conducted in air, sea, and cyber domains involving security forces and disaster response agencies.

Prime Minister Mark Philips, in his feature address at the closing ceremony, noted that the shared values such as democracy, economic integration and regional security could culminate in a peaceful hemispheric security environment.

Similar sentiments were expressed by US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who observed that the exercise displayed the cohesiveness and synergy between the participating nations which allowed for skills to be shared and enhanced.

Guyana and the United States have had a long and well-established relation. This relationship deepened after the restoration of democratic rule to the country on October 5, 1992 following the intervention of the United States and the Carter Center, which was instrumental in electoral reforms that culminated in the holding of free and fair elections after over two decades of undemocratic rule.

Overall, relations between Guyana and the United States have been good. Under successive PPP governments, relations between Guyana and the United States continue to improve. The Guyana Government has committed itself to democracy, good governance and a free-market economy and has pursued a path of sustainable development. Guyana, over the years, has benefitted substantially from United States assistance both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. The continuing role played by the United States in the preservation and consolidation of democratic rule in the country cannot be overemphasized. Indeed, were it not for the vigilance and strong advocacy for upholding democratic norms and the rule of law on the part of the United States and other democratic nations, the country could have lost its democratic status during the aftermath of the  March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

President Irfaan Ali has re-committed Guyana’s desire to deepening relations with the United States of America. At a joint statement with the then US Secretary of State, in September 2020, the two countries agreed to undertake maritime patrols aimed at drug interdiction as well as enhancing security within the context of Guyana’s territorial and maritime space and the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.