Updated May 21, 2020
Guyana: An Overview
Located on the north coast of South America, English-
Change (AFC), led by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
speaking Guyana has characteristics of a Caribbean nation
The largest party in the APNU is the People’s National
because of its British colonial heritage (the country
Congress Reform (PNCR), which dominated the political
achieved independence from Britain in 1966). Guyana
system from independence until the early 1990s; the party
participates in Caribbean regional organizations and
traditionally has had an Afro-Guyanese base of support. In
forums, and its capital of Georgetown serves as
contrast, the AFC identifies as a multiracial party.
headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a
regional integration organization.
Figure 1. Map of Guyana
Guyana currently is facing two enormous challenges—a
political crisis concerning the conduct of the March 2,
2020, elections, and a public health threat due to the
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Election observer groups, U.S. officials, and some
Members of Congress have expressed concern about
discrepancies and allegations of electoral fraud. After
legal challenges, a recount began on May 6, 2020.
With regard to COVID-19, as of May 21, 2020, Guyana
reported 10 deaths and 125 confirmed cases. The
economic impact of COVID-19 on Guyana will not be
as severe as in other Caribbean countries because of
Guyana’s recently begun offshore oil production.
Guyana at a Glance
Population: 785,000 (2019, IMF est.)
Ethnic Groups: Indo-Guyanese, or those of East Indian
heritage, almost 40%; Afro-Guyanese, almost 30%; mixed,
20%; Amerindian, almost 11% (2012, CIA est.)
Source: CRS.
Area: 83,000 square miles, about the size of Idaho
GDP: $4.1 billion (2019, current prices, IMF est.)
The opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C),
led by former President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011), has 32
Real GDP Growth: 4.7% (2019 est.); 53% (2020 est.); 6.3%
seats in the National Assembly. Traditionally supported by
(2021est.) (constant prices, IMF)
Indo-Guyanese, the PPP/C governed Guyana from 1992
Per Capita GDP: $5,252 (2019, current prices, IMF est.)
until its defeat in the 2015 elections.
Life Expectancy: 69.8 years (2018, WB)
March 2020 Elections
Sources: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World
Originally due by September 2020, Guyana held early
Economic Outlook Database, Oct. 2019 and April 2020;
national elections on March 2, 2020, because the ruling
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), World Factbook; World
APNU/AFC coalition lost a no-confidence motion in
Bank (WB), World Development Indicators.
December 2018 by a single vote. A legal challenge to the
motion ensued and made its way to the Caribbean Court of
Political Environment
Justice, which ruled in June 2019 that the vote was valid.
Guyana has a hybrid republican/parliamentary form of
In the March 2, 2020, election, President Granger (running
government. The presidential candidate of the party or
for reelection) was the presidential candidate of the
coalition receiving the most votes becomes president, and
APNU/AFC coalition, with AFC Member of Parliament
the president appoints the prime minister.
and Minister of Security Khemraj Ramjattan the candidate
for prime minister. The PPP/C selected Irfan Ali as its
President David Granger leads a coalition that narrowly
presidential candidate. Ali currently serves as shadow
won in 2015, with 33 of 65 seats in the unicameral National
Assembly. The coalition consists of Granger’s A
finance minister and previously served as housing minister.
Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Guyana: An Overview
Final election results have not been released because of
of the recount and encouraged “a swift, credible, and
allegations of fraud in 1 of the country’s 10 administrative
transparent conclusion to the recount process.”
regions, Region 4. On March 6, several international
election observer missions—from the Organization of
U.S. relations with Guyana have improved since the early
American States (OAS), the Carter Center, the European
1990s, when the government moved away from its socialist
Union (EU), and the Commonwealth—maintained that the
orientation and one-party domination of the political system
tabulation of results for Region 4 was interrupted and
and embraced a market economy and free and fair
incomplete, and called for election officials to resume the
democratic elections. According to the State Department,
transparent tabulation of votes. On April 15, the OAS
U.S. policy toward Guyana centers on democracy
observer mission urged the Guyana Elections Commission
promotion and civil society development, economic growth,
(GECOM) to ensure that procedures for a planned recount
and the promotion of security and stability. Bilateral
are transparent and consistent. Legal challenges delayed a
relations are characterized by close security cooperation
recount until it ultimately began on May 6, with a three-
through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) and
member CARICOM team overseeing the process. The
expanding trade and investment in the energy sector.
recount will likely take longer than the 25 days initially
planned. President Granger has said he will accept
Trade. The United States ran a trade surplus of $540
GECOM’s declaration of results.
million with Guyana in 2019, with U.S. exports valued at
$672 million, up 24% from 2018 (led by machinery and
Oil Changes Guyana’s Economic Outlook iron/steel pipes for oil drilling) and U.S. imports valued at
Guyana’s economy traditionally has been based on
$132 million (led by seafood, aluminum ores, and gold). In
agriculture (rice and sugar) and mining (gold and bauxite),
1988, Guyana became a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin
but the discovery of significant amounts of offshore oil is
Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), a preferential trade
bolstering the country’s economy. ExxonMobil leads a
program for Caribbean imports. In 2000, it became a
consortium that includes Hess and China National Offshore
beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act
Oil Corporation and has been involved in oil and gas
(CBTPA), a program that provides enhanced tariff
exploration in Guyana since 2008. Since 2015, the
treatment for certain imports from the region, including
consortium has identified 16 commercially viable
goods made with U.S. yarns, fabrics, and threads. CBERA
discoveries in the Stabroek Block, about 120 miles
has no set expiration date; CBTPA expires in September
offshore. Production began in December 2019 and is
2020. Legislation has been introduced in both houses (H.R.
expected to reach 120,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d) within
991 and S. 2473) to extend the CBTPA to September 2030.
several months and more than 750,000 b/d by 2026.
Recoverable oil is estimated at more than 6 billion barrels.
U.S. Foreign Aid. U.S. foreign assistance to Guyana
includes a small bilateral aid program to improve the
The discovery of offshore oil vastly changes the economic
capacity of Guyana’s security forces to police its border and
development prospects of Guyana, which used to be one of
provide security, as well as larger spigots of assistance
the hemisphere’s poorest countries. The International
through global and regional programs. According to the
Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that economic growth in
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S
2019 reached 4.7%. For 2020, despite the recent decline in
aid to Guyana amounted to $4.7 million in FY2018 (latest
world oil prices and the economic consequences of the
full year available), with top sectors including HIV/AIDS
COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF is forecasting 53%
and basic education and health. Guyana has received
economic growth and a comparable per capita income
assistance to combat HIV/AIDS since 2004 under the
increase. Guyana’s development of its oil resources has
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Although
raised concerns about corruption. In early 2019, Guyana’s
Peace Corps programs worldwide are now suspended
National Assembly approved legislation providing a
because of COVID-19, Guyana had over 60 volunteers
framework for the establishment of a Natural Resource
working on education, health, and environmental projects.
Fund for managing the country’s oil wealth. The IMF
welcomed the action but called for Guyana to take
Guyana also receives U.S. assistance through the CBSI, a
additional steps, including establishing a fiscal
program begun in 2009 to help combat the drug trade and
responsibility framework to avoid fiscal deficits; promoting
other transnational crime and improve citizen security.
effective, transparent management of the oil wealth; and
Support for Guyana has included the provision of patrol
strengthening anti-corruption efforts.
boats to increase the defense force’s maritime operations
capability; a community-based program to reduce crime
U.S.-Guyana Relations
and violence and increase opportunities for youth; support
In the aftermath of the March 2, 2020, elections, U.S.
for effective criminal investigations; and job and
Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch joined the heads of mission
educational support for at-risk youth.
from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the EU to issue a
joint statement on March 6 expressing “deep concern over
According to USAID, the United States also provided
credible allegations of electoral fraud.” The ambassadors
almost $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance from
called on President Granger to avoid a transition of
FY2017 to FY2019 through international organizations for
government, which they maintained would be
some 22,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Guyana.
“unconstitutional” because the tabulation process “lacked
credibility and transparency.” In a subsequent joint
Mark P. Sullivan, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
statement on May 6, the ambassadors lauded the beginning
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Guyana: An Overview
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