President of Guyana meets US official during border dispute with Venezuela

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali held discussions on regional security with Daniel Erikson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere. 

The talks covered mutual interests such as regional security, food security, climate change, information sharing, narcotics monitoring, and disaster risk management. 

The meeting occurred amid ongoing tensions over the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, particularly in the oil-rich Essequibo region. 

The dispute has escalated recently, with Venezuela accusing Guyana of acting "under the mandate of the gringos" (referring to the United States). 

The US has been strengthening ties with Guyana, conducting joint military exercises, while the border dispute is being litigated at the International Court of Justice.