Walton Demands Parliamentary Scrutiny of Guyana-US Defence Pact

Forward Guyana Movement leader and lone parliamentarian Amanza Walton has called on the Government to disclose the commitments made under Guyana’s enhanced defence partnership with the United States, arguing that a broad public statement is insufficient to ensure accountability on an agreement with potentially significant implications for national security and sovereignty.

Walton said there was a clear strategic rationale for strengthening defence cooperation with Washington, particularly given Guyana’s offshore oil and gas resources and substantial American investment in the energy sector. However, she insisted that the public and Parliament must be given a meaningful explanation of what has been agreed to in their name.

“The Government has released a public statement on the Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defence Partnership, but a broad and vague outline will not suffice,” Walton said in a statement.

The Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defence Partnership was signed at the Pentagon on October 21, 2026, by President Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The agreement is intended to deepen military cooperation between the two countries through sustained US defence expertise, multidomain military training and joint exercises with the Guyana Defence Force.

The partnership also envisages closer cooperation to counter narcotrafficking and narcoterrorist organisations, while strengthening Guyana’s capacity to monitor and respond to threats affecting its territory and surrounding areas.

The agreement comes as Guyana’s emergence as a major oil-producing nation has increased its strategic importance, with offshore petroleum development attracting substantial investment from US-based energy companies. Protecting maritime interests, offshore installations and other critical national assets has consequently become an important component of the country’s security priorities.

But Walton argued that the strategic importance of the partnership makes transparency and parliamentary oversight more necessary, not less.

The parliamentarian pointed to the United States’ established mechanisms for congressional oversight and public disclosure of international commitments, arguing that Guyanese citizens should be afforded a meaningful explanation of agreements entered into on their behalf.

As Guyanese we are equally entitled to a meaningful explanation of what has been signed in our name, the commitments undertaken on our behalf and the implications for our country.

Walton also criticised what she described as a significant deficit of public trust in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, saying that greater disclosure was essential to ensuring public confidence in decisions affecting the country’s national interests.

She maintained that political differences should not prevent Parliament from examining the terms and implications of the defence partnership.

Our Parliament was established to conduct the serious business of this nation. Political differences must not prevent Parliament from scrutinising commitments made in the name of the Guyanese people.

While the declaration outlines areas of closer military and security cooperation, Walton’s demand raises questions about the extent to which the Government will disclose the specific commitments, obligations and implementation arrangements associated with the partnership.

The available public announcements have not detailed every operational provision or clarified whether the declaration entails additional binding obligations for Guyana. Walton’s call therefore places the focus on whether the Government will provide Parliament with further information beyond its public description of the agreement.

She called for a public explanation of the partnership and a substantive briefing to Parliament, proposing that the matter be examined, at a minimum, by the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations.

Walton acknowledged that some information could legitimately be withheld from public disclosure on national security grounds, but argued that confidentiality should not be used to exclude parliamentary scrutiny.

Sensitive details can be discussed with the Committee in confidence.

Her proposal would allow sensitive information to be examined behind closed doors while enabling the Government to explain publicly the broader terms, objectives and implications of the partnership.

The declaration signals closer defence ties between Guyana and the United States at a time when the country’s growing energy wealth has heightened the importance of protecting its territorial integrity and strategic assets.

The outstanding issue, Walton argues, is whether Guyanese citizens and their elected representatives will receive sufficient information to assess the commitments made on their behalf and hold the Government accountable for the decisions it takes.