Guyana and Colombia have signed a defense agreement to expand their joint aerial surveillance cooperation.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Colombia’s Ministry of Defense, focuses on protecting their neighboring airspace, countering illegal activity, and improving awareness of potential threats.
The GDF said that the partnership is a key step in evolving Guyana’s defense strategy, enhancing its ability to safeguard sovereignty while supporting regional stability.
Military officials added that the partnership underscores the importance of coordination and intelligence sharing with Colombia.
The pact calls for greater technical exchanges, training, and rapid-response operations using advanced systems, marking progress in Guyana’s military modernization and its growing role in South America’s collective defense.
The agreement follows a meeting this month between GDF Chief of Staff Brig. Omar Khan and Colombian Ambassador Graybern Livingston Forbes on defense acquisitions and shared security challenges.
Bilateral Relations
The announcement came after the July reopening of Colombia’s embassy in Georgetown, where both sides pledged closer cooperation on citizen security, organized crime, sustainable development, and climate resilience, while strengthening security and institutional ties.
Colombia closed its embassy in Guyana in 2002 due to financial challenges.
In 2022, Guyana hosted a US Southern Command–backed defense symposium with Colombia and other partners, sharing tactics on jungle warfare and regional security.
Since 2010, Guyana and Colombia have advanced cooperation through treaties on technical development, counter-narcotics, as well as tourism and travel waivers for officials.
Both countries also work together in larger regional alliances, including the Caribbean Community intergovernmental organization, where Colombia is an observer, the Union of South American Nations, and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, bolstering security and technical collaboration.
