Guyana currently has about 4000 men in its armed forces. By body count, this pales in comparison to Venezuela which has 300,000 men in its army, another 600,000 persons in its reserves, and 6 million persons in its militia. These numbers, according to Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, underscore the importance of the Regional Security System Bill 2025 which was passed in the House on Monday evening.
During his contribution to the bill, Benn noted that the bill will pave the way for Guyana to have adequate assistance when needed. Given recent acts of aggression by Venezuela, the minister said it further underscores why the government must move with a sense of urgency to ensure Guyana has all measures in place to safeguard its people and territorial sovereignty.
“If we have to engage…we have to be able to survive the first engagement and to have our friends come for us. We cannot, with a population of 800,000 people, think that another entity who has close to 2 million people in its military forces, think that we can win against them by ourselves, even on the first engagement,” the minister said.
He added, “Even if the RSS comes, they have to shoot and scoop with us.”
Regarding concerns raised by the opposition about the level of independence the RSS officials would enjoy, Benn assured that they will have the ability to make arrests and to support Guyana’s security frameworks without hindrances.
Benn’s points were also strongly supported by opposition parliamentarian, Geeta Chandon-Edmond, who noted that the bill formalizes Guyana’s participation in a collaborative regional security framework. She deemed it a bold and necessary response to the escalating threats faced by small states in an increasingly volatile world. She said, “It strikes at the very core of our sacred duty as lawmakers for the defense, preservation, the advancement, and the interests of our country. So debating today is not an abstract theory or a distant hypothetical. We are debating the immediate security of our citizens, the resilience of our institution, and the enduring stability of our future.”
Other speakers on the bill included, Prime Minister, retired Brigadier, Mark Phillips and AFC Executive Member, Kemraj Ramjattan, both of whom also expressed support for the document.
