U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has introduced new legislation aimed at reinforcing security cooperation between the United States and Guyana, in a direct effort to deter mounting Venezuelan aggression toward the country.
“As Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro continues to threaten Guyana, the United States must work with Guyana to deter such aggression,” Bennet stated in a release from his office on Monday. “This bill will compel the Department of Defense to evaluate the current state of our security cooperation and determine where improvements are necessary.”
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The proposed legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of Defense to deliver a comprehensive report to Congress assessing existing security collaboration with Guyana and recommending whether further U.S. assistance is needed to prevent potential Venezuelan military action.
According to Bennet’s office, Maduro has intensified hostile actions against Guyana since assuming office in 2013 — including unauthorized Venezuelan Air Force flyovers of Guyanese territory and threats against offshore oil installations located within Guyana’s internationally recognized maritime boundaries. Maduro’s regime continues to assert false territorial claims over the oil-rich Essequibo region, in defiance of international legal rulings that affirm Guyana’s sovereignty.
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have taken steps to enhance security ties with Guyana and have publicly warned Venezuela of severe consequences should it engage in military aggression. Bennet’s bill seeks to reinforce and expand these bipartisan commitments.
“Guyana is an increasingly vital U.S. ally in promoting regional stability, democracy, and economic resilience,” the release noted. “As a rapidly growing oil producer supplying crude to Europe, Guyana plays a key role in helping the West reduce its dependency on Russian energy in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who also serves on both the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees.
The proposal builds on Senator Bennet’s recent foreign policy initiatives. In January 2025, he joined Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) in introducing the Venezuela Advancing Liberty, Opportunity, and Rights (VALOR) Act, aimed at supporting Venezuela’s transition to democracy. The bill followed widely discredited elections in which Maduro claimed victory despite credible reports showing opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner.
Bennet and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also lead the Americas Act — the only major strategic economic proposal designed to counter China’s expanding influence in the Western Hemisphere. In February 2025, Bennet joined a bipartisan group of senators, including Cassidy, Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), to introduce the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension (HELP) Act, which proposes extending U.S. trade benefits for Haitian apparel exports through 2035.
Senator Bennet’s latest legislative move underscores growing bipartisan concern in Washington over regional instability, transnational threats, and the strategic significance of U.S.-Guyana relations in the face of authoritarian expansionism in Latin America.
