The Trump administration is broadening its resource hunt in Latin America to include Guyana’s bauxite, a key mineral for aluminum production, as the war in Iran continues to roil global energy markets. Jacob Helberg, the State Department’s top economic diplomat, arrived in Georgetown this week for talks with President Irfaan Ali and other senior officials, the U.S. mission announced Friday.
Guyana has emerged as a major oil producer in the last decade, drawing international investment and boosting the country’s strategic weight. The Iran war’s disruption of global energy supplies has further accelerated demand for stable sources outside the Middle East, and the Trump administration has responded with a series of initiatives across the Western Hemisphere — including the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela in January to expand oil production there, and ongoing cooperation with Brazil over critical minerals.
“In times of global energy scarcity, there’s a great deal more focus on Latin America as an alternative stable source of supply,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Stimson Center’s Latin America program. “And Guyana is the leader of that story.”
Helberg told officials that the U.S. sees opportunity in Guyana’s bauxite reserves, which are already mined but dominated by Chinese operator Bosai Minerals. He said Washington could also assist Guyana with high-tech geological surveys to identify other mineral deposits for future development.
“Generally speaking, we both understand that Guyana is a country with a lot of natural resources,” Helberg said of the bilateral talks.
The visit comes as U.S. officials express growing alarm about Chinese companies winning major state contracts in Guyana and across Latin America. “The U.S. is looking to learn from past mistakes of allowing China to gain a foothold in the region,” said Jason Marczak, vice president at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. Guyanese officials have contended that American firms have not been as aggressive as Chinese companies, which often provide financing and construction labor.
Nevertheless, Marczak said the Helberg visit signals that Guyana remains a strong U.S. partner. “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,” he said. “That’s reflected by Helberg’s visit to Guyana.”
Guyana’s foreign secretary, Robert Persaud, told the Associated Press that his government is eager to attract U.S. investors and wants any deals to include domestic processing and energy-generation upgrades.
“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,” Persaud said. “We are interested in processing and with improvements in energy generation.”