The US turns to Guyana’s bauxite in its latest push for Latin America's
resources
[May 16, 2026] By
BERT WILKINSON and ANNA-CATHERINE BRIGIDA
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The U.S. announced Friday it is turning its
attention toward Guyana’s abundant bauxite and other resources for
business opportunities at a time when the Trump administration is
increasingly eyeing Latin American energy and minerals.
U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg held talks this
week with top Guyanese officials, including President Irfaan Ali, in the
South American country experiencing an oil boom.
The country’s mass oil reserves discovered in the last decade have
increased Guyana’s geopolitical importance, which has been further
amplified by a global energy crisis caused by the Iran war. Its bauxite
reserves are critical for producing aluminum.
The Trump administration has more aggressively focused on Latin
America’s resources, from pushing to expand oil production in Venezuela
following the U.S. military invasion in January, to pursuing cooperation
with Brazil over critical minerals.
In a region where energy production seemed to be declining, Latin
America is now seeing a reversal of that trend, according to Benjamin
Gedan, senior fellow and the director of the Stimson Center Latin
America program.
“In times of global energy scarcity, there’s a great deal more focus on
Latin America as an alternative stable source of supply,” said Gedan.
“And Guyana is the leader of that story.”
The visit comes amid concerns in the U.S. government about the Chinese
government and mega companies cashing in on multimillion dollar state
contracts at the expense of U.S. companies.
Guyanese officials have argued that U.S. firms have not been as
aggressive as the Chinese, who often offer financing and cater to labor
needs for mega projects.
Helberg told officials that bauxite reserves are already known so the
U.S. will be interested in the sector. Currently, Chinese operator Bosai
Minerals is the dominant player in the local bauxite sector.
[to top of second column] |
Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg speaks
at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP
Photo, File)
 “Generally speaking, we both
understand that Guyana is a country with a lot of natural
resources,” Helberg said of the bilateral talks.
He suggested that the U.S. can also assist Guyana in conducting
high-tech surveys to determine what other minerals lie under the
surface for development later on.
The U.S. is looking to learn from past mistakes of allowing China to
gain a foothold in the region, according to Jason Marczak, vice
president and senior director for the Adrienne Arsht Latin America
Center at the Atlantic Council.
While Guyana is likely trying to diversify its trade relationships,
including with China, the visit shows that the country remains a
strong U.S. partner in the region.
“President Ali in particular is very close to the United States and
in general recognizes the importance of the U.S. as a key partner
for Guyana,” Marczak said. “That’s reflected by Helberg’s visit to
Guyana."
Guyana’s Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud told The Associated Press
on Friday that Guyana is interested in attracting U.S. investors to
the mineral, oil and gas-rich country in the coming months.
“The U.S. is our strategic partner and we made that clear to them
but we would want value added to bauxite and other products. We are
interested in processing and with improvements in energy
generation,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Anna-Catherine Brigida reported from Mexico
City.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
