Updated April 17, 2020
Guyana: An Overview
Located on the north coast of South America, English-
President David Granger leads a coalition that narrowly
speaking Guyana has characteristics of a Caribbean nation
won in 2015, with 33 of 65 seats in the unicameral National
because of its British colonial heritage (the country
Assembly. The coalition consists of Granger’s A
achieved independence from Britain in 1966). Guyana
Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for
participates in Caribbean regional organizations and
Change (AFC), led by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
forums, and its capital of Georgetown serves as
The largest party in the APNU is the People’s National
headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a
Congress Reform (PNCR), which dominated the political
regional integration organization.
system from independence until the early 1990s; the party
traditionally has had an Afro-Guyanese base of support. In
Guyana currently is facing two enormous challenges—a
contrast, the AFC identifies as a multiracial party.
political crisis concerning the conduct of the March 2,
2020, elections, and a public health threat due to the
Figure 1. Map of Guyana
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
U.S. officials and some Members of Congress have
expressed deep concern about credible allegations of
electoral fraud. On April 15, 2020, an Organization of
American States (OAS) election observation mission
maintained that the political crisis is not intractable and
urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to
ensure that procedures for a planned recount are
transparent and consistent.
With regard to COVID-19, as of April 16, 2020, Guyana
reported 6 deaths and 48 confirmed cases, although
testing to date has been limited. The broad economic
impact of COVID-19 on Guyana likely will not be as
severe as in other Caribbean countries because of
Guyana’s recently begun offshore oil production.
Guyana at a Glance
Population: 782,000 (2018, IMF est.)
Ethnic Groups: Indo-Guyanese, or those of East Indian
heritage, almost 40%; Afro-Guyanese, almost 30%; mixed,
Source: CRS.
20%; Amerindian, almost 11% (2012, CIA est.)
Area: 83,000 square miles, about the size of Idaho
The opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C),
GDP: $4.1 billion (2019, current prices, IMF est.)
led by former President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011), has 32
seats in the National Assembly. Traditionally supported by
Real GDP Growth: 4.7% (2019 est.); 53% (2020 est.)
Indo-Guyanese, the PPP/C governed Guyana from 1992
(constant prices, IMF)
until its defeat in the 2015 elections.
Per Capita GDP: $5,252 (2019, current prices, IMF est.)
Life Expectancy: 69.8 years (2018, WB)
March 2020 Elections
Originally due by September 2020, Guyana held early
Sources: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World
national elections on March 2, 2020, because the ruling
Economic Outlook Database, Oct. 2019 and April 2020;
APNU/AFC coalition lost a no-confidence motion in
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), World Factbook; World
December 2018 by a single vote. A legal challenge to the
Bank (WB), World Development Indicators.
motion ensued and made its way to the Caribbean Court of
Justice, which ruled in June 2019 that the vote was valid.
Political Environment
In the March 2, 2020, election, President Granger (running
Guyana has a hybrid republican/parliamentary form of
for reelection) was the presidential candidate of the
government. The presidential candidate of the party or
APNU/AFC coalition, with AFC Member of Parliament
coalition receiving the most votes becomes president, and
and Minister of Security Khemraj Ramjattan the candidate
the president appoints the prime minister.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Guyana: An Overview
for prime minister. The PPP/C selected Irfan Ali as its
as it would be based on a vote tabulation process that
presidential candidate. Ali currently serves as shadow
lacked credibility and transparency.”
finance minister and previously served as housing minister.
U.S. relations with Guyana have improved since the early
Final election results were not released because of alleged
1990s, when the government moved away from its socialist
discrepancies and allegations of fraud in 1 of the country’s
orientation and one-party domination of the political system
10 administrative regions, Region 4. On March 6, several
and embraced a market economy and free and fair
international election observer missions—from the OAS,
democratic elections. According to the State Department,
the Carter Center, the European Union (EU), and the
U.S. policy toward Guyana centers on democracy
Commonwealth—maintained that the tabulation of results
promotion and civil society development, economic growth,
for Region 4 was interrupted and incomplete, and called for
and the promotion of security and stability. Bilateral
election officials to resume the transparent tabulation of
relations are characterized by close security cooperation
votes. Legal challenges delayed a recount, but in early April
through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) and
2020, GECOM confirmed its decision to go ahead with a
expanding trade and investment in the energy sector.
full national recount. GECOM’s chairperson has indicated
that a timeframe for the recount will be announced on April
Trade. The United States ran a trade surplus of $540
17; a previous proposal by the country’s chief electoral
million with Guyana in 2019, with U.S. exports valued at
officer to take 156 days for the recount was met by strong
$672 million, up 24% from 2018 (led by machinery and
criticism by the PPP/C and the OAS electoral observation
iron/steel pipes for oil drilling) and U.S. imports valued at
mission.
$132 million (led by seafood, aluminum ores, and gold). In
1988, Guyana became a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin
Oil Changes Guyana’s Economic Outlook
Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), a preferential trade
Guyana’s economy traditionally has been based on
program for Caribbean imports. In 2000, it became a
agriculture (rice and sugar) and mining (gold and bauxite),
beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act
but the discovery of significant amounts of offshore oil is
(CBTPA), a program that provides enhanced tariff
bolstering the country’s economy. ExxonMobil leads a
treatment for certain imports from the region, including
consortium that includes Hess and China National Offshore
goods made with U.S. yarns, fabrics, and threads. CBERA
Oil Corporation and has been involved in oil and gas
has no set expiration date; CBTPA expires in September
exploration in Guyana since 2008. Since 2015, the
2020. Legislation has been introduced in both houses (H.R.
consortium has identified 16 commercially viable
991 and S. 2473) to extend the CBTPA to September 2030.
discoveries in the Stabroek Block, about 120 miles
offshore. Production began in December 2019 and is
U.S. Foreign Aid. U.S. foreign assistance to Guyana
expected to reach 120,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d) within
includes a small bilateral aid program to improve the
several months and more than 750,000 b/d by 2025.
capacity of Guyana’s security forces to police its border and
Recoverable oil is estimated at more than 6 billion barrels.
provide security, as well as larger spigots of assistance
through global and regional programs. According to the
The discovery of offshore oil vastly changes the economic
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S
development prospects of Guyana, which used to be one of
aid to Guyana amounted to $4.7 million in FY2018 (latest
the hemisphere’s poorest countries. The International
full year available), with top sectors including HIV/AIDS
Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that economic growth in
and basic education and health. Guyana has received
2019 reached 4.7%. For 2020, despite the recent decline in
assistance to combat HIV/AIDS since 2004 under the
world oil prices and the economic consequences of the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Although
COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF is forecasting 53%
Peace Corps programs worldwide are now suspended
economic growth and a comparable per capita income
because of COVID-19, Guyana had over 60 volunteers
increase. Guyana’s development of its oil resources has
working on education, health, and environmental projects.
raised concerns about corruption. In early 2019, Guyana’s
National Assembly approved legislation providing a
Guyana also receives U.S. assistance through the CBSI, a
framework for the establishment of a Natural Resource
program begun in 2009 to help combat the drug trade and
Fund for managing the country’s oil wealth. The IMF
other transnational crime and improve citizen security.
welcomed the action but called for Guyana to take
Support for Guyana has included the provision of patrol
additional steps, including establishing a fiscal
boats to increase the defense force’s maritime operations
responsibility framework to avoid fiscal deficits; promoting
capability; a community-based program to reduce crime
effective, transparent management of the oil wealth; and
and violence and increase opportunities for youth; support
strengthening anti-corruption efforts.
for effective criminal investigations; and job and
educational support for at-risk youth.
U.S.-Guyana Relations
In the aftermath of the March 2, 2020, elections, U.S.
According to USAID, the United States also provided
Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch joined the heads of mission
almost $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance from
from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the EU to issue a
FY2017 to FY2019 through international organizations for
joint statement on March 6 expressing “deep concern over
some 22,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Guyana.
credible allegations of electoral fraud.” The ambassadors
called on President Granger to avoid a transition of
Mark P. Sullivan, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
government, “which we believe would be unconstitutional
IF11381
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Guyana: An Overview
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11381 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED