Guyana welcomes US Senate bill aimed at countering Venezuelan threats

The Government of Guyana has welcomed new legislation introduced in the United States Senate that seeks to strengthen Washington’s security cooperation with Georgetown amid ongoing territorial tensions with Venezuela.

The bipartisan bill, tabled by Senator Michael Bennet—a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—calls for the US Secretary of Defence to assess the current state of security cooperation with Guyana and report to Congress. The legislation also requires consideration of additional US assistance to deter further aggression from Venezuela.

“As Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro continues to threaten Guyana, the United States must work with Guyana to deter such aggression,” Bennet said. “This bill will force the Pentagon to evaluate current cooperation and determine where improvements can be made.”

Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo described the move as both significant and timely.

“We’re pleased that they will see it important… to have the Department of Defence regularly report on Venezuelan aggression towards Guyana,” Jagdeo said. “And hopefully, to ensure that their designs on our country, which is an aggressive design, will not succeed.”

The legislation follows rising tensions over the Essequibo region—a resource-rich area that Venezuela continues to claim, despite an 1899 arbitral award that recognised the territory as part of Guyana. The matter is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has twice issued provisional measures barring Venezuela from taking unilateral actions in the disputed area.

The proposed US bill is the latest show of international support for Guyana as it pushes back against what it calls Venezuela’s unlawful territorial claims.