2023-08-03 10:02:01
United States Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), visited Guyana and Honduras July 25-28 and met with military and senior government leaders.
Gen. Richardson also participated in the closing ceremony of the Guyana-hosted exercise Tradewinds on July 27, which involved US forces and 20 partner nations.
Guyana
Following her arrival on the evening of July 25, Gen. Richardson met the following day with Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch to discuss the US defense partnership with Guyana and the Guyana Community. Caribbean (CARICOM).
That same day, Gen. Richardson and Ambassador Lynch met with US and multinational militaries participating in Tradewinds at various locations in Guyana.
Tradewinds is a multinational exercise focused on the Caribbean whose objective is to increase the security capacity of the region, strengthen alliances between participating defense and public security forces, foster international cooperation and promote human rights.
On July 27, Gen. Richardson met with the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, to discuss the US-Guyana defense partnership. Also during the bilateral meeting, Brig. Khan and Gen. Richardson signed the Human Rights Framework, whereby their organizations commit to “engagement, cooperation, and integration on human rights.”
With the signing of the Framework, Guyana became the 13th nation to join SOUTHCOM’s Human Rights Initiative (HRI).
Next, Gen. Richardson met with CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett, to discuss regional security, including cybersecurity and climate change.
Later, Gen. Richardson joined senior leaders to participate in the closing ceremony of Tradewinds.
“For 38 years we have come together to build partner country capacity, strengthen partnerships, enhance interoperability and promote human rights,” Maj. Richardson stated at the closing ceremony. “Multinational partnerships formed and strengthened through exercises that span all domains, such as Tradewinds, enhance our ability to confront global security threats and deter bad actors.”
“Strong multinational partnerships that span the globe not only reflect an enduring mutual promise, but also a promise to democracy, or what I like to call Team Democracy,” Gen. Richardson stated.
The US and Guyana have a long-standing security partnership characterized by close collaboration between SOUTHOM and the GDF.
Honduras
Gen. Richardson arrived in Honduras on July 27. The next day, Gen. Richardson met with Honduran President Xiomara Castro and other senior defense officials to discuss the continuation of bilateral cooperation.
The US is committed to remaining Honduras’ primary security partner, as the two countries share a close and longstanding defense partnership, bound by diplomatic, historical, and cultural ties.
1691058741
#Commander #Southern #Command #visits #Guyana #Honduras
