Guyana and Brazil are considering expanding military training beyond infantry and jungle warfare, following discussions on border security, information sharing and defence capabilities at Base Camp Ayanganna.
Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan met a Brazilian delegation led by General Luiz Gonzaga Viana Filho, Military Commander of the Amazon, according to a Guyana Defence Force statement.
The talks addressed shared security concerns and opportunities for closer cooperation. The visiting delegation also received a security briefing.
Khan said continued engagement was important because instability elsewhere in the hemisphere could have implications for the wider region. Sustained dialogue, he said, would support strategic planning and decision-making.
Acknowledging Brazil’s contribution to GDF training and professional development since Guyana’s independence, Khan discussed expanding opportunities to include officer development and specialised courses.
General Viana Filho welcomed closer engagement and continued information sharing. Mountain warfare training was among the opportunities discussed, and he invited Khan to visit the Amazon Military Command Headquarters.
The statement did not identify the full range of proposed courses, the number of personnel who could benefit or a timetable for expanded training.
The Brazilian delegation included Commander of the 1st Jungle Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Roberto Pereira Angrizani; Deputy Commander of Operation Catrimani, Brigadier General Klauber Rogerio Candian; and Colonel Bastos Costa, Assistant to the Commander of the Amazon Military Command.
Khan was accompanied by senior GDF officers, including Colonel General Staff Kenlloyd Roberts, Task Force Commander Captain (Coast Guard) Vernon Burnett and Adjutant General Colonel Lloyd Souvenir.
At the start of the visit, Lieutenant Colonel Jaime Castello, Commanding Officer of the 3 Infantry Battalion, and his team received the delegation at the Takutu River Bridge, which connects Lethem with Bonfim in Brazil’s Roraima State.
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