Guyana’s radically changing economic circumstances is going to bring radically new challenges for national defence.   This means that both concrete and innovative solutions for national security have to be created via a completely revamped National Security Strategy. 

Coastal Zone Protection – Guyana’s 285-mile long coast accounts for roughly 1/6^th of our total boundary length and is the basis for an exclusive economic zone offshore of about 53,000 square miles.  Up to 2015, our primary offshore national security concern was piracy attacks on fishermen, which accounted for increasingly devastating loss of life of citizens in that territory, with minor territorial aggression/dispute from neighbours Suriname and Venezuela before international courts.  The offshore extraction, storage and transport of petroleum resources brings new national security challenges, as does the future construction of a natural gas pipeline. While Guyana itself might not be the direct target of an attack, our coastal vulnerability (large coastline, small security force) allows for the sort of geo-politically inspired terrorist attack as has taken place elsewhere.  Even as we rely on mutual defence strategies involving more capable partners like the United States, the primary responsibility for national security in Guyana’s sovereign territorial space must be our responsibility.  We propose doubling the unit strength of our Coast Guard, investing over the medium term in larger, better-armed vessels with support coming from surveillance support from an enhanced air corps, and satellite intelligence provided in partnership with our international allies.

Land Border Defence – the Venezuelan claim on the Essequibo has long been seen as a threat to national security, but actual chances of a military land invasion from our neighbour to the west have been virtually zero.  With the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela however, a new threat has arisen in the form of criminal gangs called sindicatos.   Addressing residents of the border community of Kaikan in February of 2018, President Granger noted:

“Frontier communities are guardians of Guyana’s territorial integrity and national security. They are our first line of defence against any attempt at incursions and invasions.”

We believe as the economic crisis in Venezuela deepens, and as Guyana’s economic fortunes increase, we will be facing a heightened refugee crisis at our border and the sort of consequent rise in organised crime that thrives in such situations.  The border communities themselves will not be enough – we intend to build and construct complete military bases primarily near the North-West communities like Kaikan with adequate surveillance and rapid response capacity, working in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force presence in those areas.

CyberCommand

Even as we buttress the traditional structures of the Guyana Defence Force, TCI recognises that globally, national security concerns are shifting away from conventional warfare to the dangers posed by independent cyber-terror groups, exploitative corporate interest as well as hostile governments.  Our enhancement of our e-governance systems therefore has to be matched with vigorous protection of that infrastructure from infiltration, manipulation, influence and sabotage.

Within the first two weeks of Parliament, TCI will  publish and table for debate a white paper on a National Cyber-Security Infrastructure, including a fully operational CyberCommand Division in the GDF.  We will take the lead in costing the design of that infrastructure as well and ensuring that the foundations are supported in the 2020 budget.

We have to significantly rethink how it is that we look at national security, both from where the primary threats arise as well how we handle them.  We also need to ensure that there is greater parliamentary oversight into military operations, with the establishment of a standing bipartisan committee on national defence as part of our constitutional reform measures.  We also intend to revisit the National Defence Act, broadening the statutory membership of the Defence Board to include the Judiciary (the Chief Justice); the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Minister of Infrastructure and Communication; and the Minister of Digital Innovation and Integration.

Guyana’s military is also small enough that we can significantly invest in better pay and general emoluments for personnel even as we set higher minimum standards for both recruitment and internal advancement.  We envision an army that is equipped with superior equipment, skills and intellectual capacity to prepare us to meet and surmount the defence challenges for the future.