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 Guyana |  United States |
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Bilateral relations have been established betweenGuyana and theUnited States of America.[1]
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In the 1970s, the United States opposed the policies of Guyana; the United States ceased economic aid, preventedWorld Bank loans to Guyana and sided with Venezuela in theEssequibo territory dispute.[2]
U.S. policy towardGuyana seeks to develop robust, sustainable democratic institutions, laws, and political practices; support economic growth and development; and promote stability and security. During the last years of his administration, PresidentHoyte sought to improve relations with the United States as part of a decision to move his country toward genuine political nonalignment. Relations also were improved by Hoyte's efforts to respect human rights, invite international observers for the 1992 elections, and reform electoral laws. The United States also welcomed the Hoyte government's economic reform and efforts, which stimulated investment and growth. The 1992 democratic elections and Guyana's reaffirmation of sound economic policies and respect for human rights have benefited U.S.-Guyanese relations. Under successive PPP governments, the United States and Guyana continued to improve relations. PresidentCheddi Jagan was committed to democracy, adopted more free market policies, and pursued sustainable development for Guyana's environment. PresidentJagdeo is continuing on that course, and the United States maintains positive relations with the current government.
In an effort to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in The Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an office at the U.S. Embassy in 2002. In January 2003, The Cooperative Republic of Guyana was named as one of only two countries in the Western Hemisphere to be included in President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. CDC, in coordination with theU.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is administering a 5-year multimillion-dollar program of education, prevention, and treatment for those infected and affected by the disease. The Cooperative Republic of Guyana was a threshold country in the Millennium Challenge Account developmental program.
U.S. military medical and engineering teams continue to conduct training exercises in Guyana, digging wells, building schools and clinics, and providing medical treatment.
In September 2020, in a joint statement with the U.S.Secretary of StateMike Pompeo, PresidentIrfaan Ali said the two countries would begin joint maritime patrols aimed at drug interdiction near Guyana's disputed border withcrisis-stricken Venezuela.[3] The agreement came as U.S. oil majorExxon Mobil Corp, as part of a consortium withHess Corporation, ramped up crude output from Guyana's massive offshoreStabroek block, a large portion of which is in waters claimed by Venezuela.[3] Pompeo and Ali added that "greater security, greater capacity to understand your border space, what's happening inside your Exclusive Economic Zone - those are all things that give Guyana sovereignty."[4]
In March 2025,U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guyana as part of aCaribbean tour, aiming to promote energy independence and curb illegal migration, drug trafficking, and gang violence. The visit highlighted Guyana's significant offshore oil reserves, which are key to U.S. efforts to reduce reliance onVenezuelan energy.[5]
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials include:
The U.S. Embassy in Guyana is located inGeorgetown.
Washington never sought to remove Forbes Burnham from power, despite frequent vexations with his policies. ... However, because of its displeasure with numerous Guyanese policies during the decade, the United States applied pressure in various ways: it suspended economic and food aid, it blocked World Bank loans, and it appeared to side with Venezuela in the ongoing territorial dispute. The October 1976 bombing of Cubana Airlines flight 455, in which eleven Guyanese, five North Koreans and fifty-seven Cubans were killed, was widely seen as retaliation for Guyana and Cuba's coordinated involvement in Angola.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromU.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets.United States Department of State.
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