AS Guyana’s oil-fuelled economic boom ripples across the northern tier of South America, its neighbours are moving quickly to position themselves within this emerging zone of growth.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Brazil’s frontier state of Roraima, where officials are accelerating efforts to integrate with their rapidly rising neighbour to the north.

A recent visit by Newsweek journalist and six-time Emmy Award-winning television producer Arick Wierson has spotlighted this unfolding transformation.

Wierson, who has dubbed the cross-border development zone that encompasses Roraima, Guyana and Suriname as the “Golden Arc,” travelled to Roraima to meet with state leaders and examine how the region is aligning itself with Guyana’s trajectory—and what it could mean for the future of trade, infrastructure and diplomacy across the continent.

Wierson’s visit comes on the heels of a high-level Roraima state delegation to neighbouring Guyana led by Governor Antonio (“Denarium”) Oliverio García de Almeida, who met with President, Dr Irfaan Ali and senior Guyanese ministers to discuss a broad range of cross-border co-operation initiatives. The proximity of these two visits underscores what many in the region are increasingly seeing as an inflection point in the deepening relationship between Brazil’s agricultural frontier and Guyana’s burgeoning energy economy.

“There is a sense of inevitability to what’s happening here,” said Governor Denarium during his meeting with Wierson in Boa Vista. “The success of Roraima is, in many ways, a function of the success of Guyana. We’re talking about a logistics and infrastructure corridor that will not only open up opportunities for Roraima, but for all of northern Brazil.”

THE ‘GOLDEN ARC’ VISION

Wierson has taken a particular interest in what he calls the “Golden Arc”—a vast, underdeveloped belt stretching across northern Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname.

“It’s rare to see this kind of synchronised growth potential across three adjacent regions,” he said. “Roraima is the fastest-growing state in Brazil. Guyana is the fastest-growing economy in the world. And Suriname, with its offshore oil fields just now beginning to come online, is next. This corridor is poised for a decades-long boom that could rival the Gulf region’s transformation in the late 20th century.”

Some analysts have also begun referring to these emerging markets as the “Jaguar economies”—early efforts to give shape and identity to a region undergoing extraordinary change. Wierson acknowledges the value of such branding. “Whether you call it the ‘Golden Arc’ or the ‘Jaguar Economies,’ they all speak to the power and urgency of what’s unfolding here,” he said. “This is one of the most profound economic transformation stories in the world today—and yet it still flies largely under the radar, not just in the United States, but in Europe and beyond. It’s beginning to gain attention, but it deserves far more.”
Unlike the Gulf region, where oil wealth led to monolithic, resource-dependent economies, the Golden Arc’s development trajectory is more diversified. “In this region,” Wierson added, “oil is a catalyst, but it’s not the endgame. It’s about agriculture, logistics, renewable energy, and sustainable development. That’s the real opportunity.”

Governor Denarium echoed the sentiment, outlining a vision for turning Roraima into a continental gateway. “With the development of deep-water ports in Guyana, the expansion of the Linden–Lethem Road, and potential future rail links, Roraima can become a critical transshipment hub—connecting Brazil’s interior to Atlantic shipping routes. We can’t even begin to fathom how this will transform border towns like Bonfim and Lethem, let alone the economic landscape of northern Brazil.”

HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENTS

Governor Denarium’s recent diplomatic push to Georgetown marked a major step in tightening cross-border ties. In high-level talks with President Ali, he pressed for deeper alignment on infrastructure, trade, and energy—key pillars of regional integration. At the top of the agenda: new pathways for Brazilian agricultural exports to flow through Guyanese ports.

Wierson’s follow-up visit served as both a media spotlight and a barometer of international interest in the region. His discussions with Governor Denarium and Vice-Governor Edilson Damião Lima touched on infrastructural plans, regional trade, and political transition—Denarium is widely expected to step down in 2026 to run for Brazil’s Senate, making Damião his successor.

“The fact that international media is beginning to take an interest in what’s happening here is no coincidence,” said Vice Governor Edilson Damião. “You don’t often see major global journalists making their way to Boa Vista, but that’s starting to change. It’s a sign of what’s to come—a harbinger of growing global attention as the world begins to understand the strategic importance of this emerging corridor between Brazil and Guyana.”

A STRATEGIC CORRIDOR

The Bonfim–Lethem crossing, long an isolated and underused outpost, is now envisioned as the beating heart of a new continental artery. With international capital flowing toward infrastructural projects on both sides of the border—and Guyana’s oil-driven boom capturing global attention—the potential for coordinated regional development is very real.

“This isn’t just about exporting soybeans or importing gasoline,” Wierson noted. “It’s about connecting economies, building infrastructure, and redefining South America’s north.”

If Governor Denarium’s vision holds, and if regional co-operation continues to deepen, the corridor between Boa Vista and Georgetown may soon be as familiar a talking point in international trade circles as the Panama Canal or the Trans-Amazonian Highway.

And with seasoned eyes such as Wierson’s helping to tell the story, the world may be paying closer attention than ever before.