U.S. boosts Guyana’s anti-money laundering fight with US$ 500,000

United States Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt and Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett last Friday signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) amending the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) that was signed in April 2011.

The signing took place at the ministry’s office. According to a U. S. embassy statement, the LOA will make an additional US$ 500,000 available for Guyana’s CBSI programme, increasing the original allocation.

These funds will continue to support efforts in law enforcement capacity building and anti-money laundering. In addition, it will strengthen counter-narcotics control capabilities and enhance communications to assist with information collection and identification of drug trafficking organisations.

This expanded commitment reflects the determination of the United States government to deepen its security partnership with Guyana. The new funds will be used to increase interdictions, seizures and eradication operations, and to reduce the incidence of drug-related violence.

The CBSI is a multinational partnership between the United States of America and the nations of the Caribbean designed to advance citizen security in the region. Through the CBSI, all partner nations are undertaking cooperative efforts to reduce illicit trafficking, advance public safety and security, and promote social justice. Back in February, it was announced that Guyana’s maritime capabilities will be boosted with river patrol vessels that will be provided under the CBSI.

Ambassador Hardt had said that the vessels are expected to be in Guyana by 2013. This, he said, in terms of military supplies is one of the main areas of support on the bilateral agenda; however, there are many other areas of cooperation in which the two countries are involved.

In October 2011, Guyana hosted the second meeting of the CBSI Commission, where maritime and aerial domain security cooperation which focuses on improving the maritime security capabilities of the regional forces and partner nations – devising a common strategy for air and maritime operations and sustaining the capabilities of individual countries – was comprehensively addressed.

Additionally, the U. S. is working closely with partner states to implement initiatives such as the Cooperative Sensor and Information Integration programme; information sharing (which led to the procurement of Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) equipment for six Caribbean countries, including Guyana); and providing technical assistance with regards to justice sector reforms for Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries, among many other vital areas of assistance.

The CBSI was crafted bilaterally by Caricom and the U. S. government subsequent to the decisions taken at the Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009. At that summit, U. S. President Barack Obama announced his country’s intent to pursue a security partnership with the Caribbean.

Since then, governments of the region and the U. S. have met on several occasions to jointly define and develop the goals and scope for the CBSI. Guyana is a signatory to the Declaration of Principles and the Framework Agreement of the CBSI, and has therefore pinned great expectations on the realisation of the objectives within the framework of the commission.