Guyana Just Signed a Defense Partnership at the Pentagon. This Is Trump's Hemisphere-First Strategy Working
On Oct. 21, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Guyana's President Irfaan Ali signed a joint declaration for an enhanced defense partnership, with more training, combined exercises and air-domain awareness against narco-trafficking. In our view, it is a model for America's neighborhood, and the follow-through starts now.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 22, 2026 | 6-min read The Western Hemisphere is America's neighborhood, and for too long Washington treated it as an afterthought. Not anymore. On Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali signed a "landmark" joint declaration at the Pentagon creating an enhanced defense partnership between the two countries [1][2]. In our view, it is exactly the kind of practical, hemisphere-first alliance-building that President Trump promised, and it deserves bipartisan support. Key Takeaways Hegseth and Ali signed a Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defense Partnership at the Pentagon on Oct. 21 [2][3]. The U.S. Department of War resolves to provide sustained defense expertise, multidomain training and combined exercises with the Guyana Defence Force, according to Guyana's government [3]. Hegseth said the U.S. will intensify combined training in multidomain operations and air interdiction [1]. The two countries will cooperate against narco-terrorist organizations and drug trafficking, building on their founding roles in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and the Shield of the Americas [3]. The full text of the declaration has not been released, The Rio Times reports [4]. Guyana is small, but its