US officials to visit Guyana, boost relations

The top U.S. diplomat for the Americas is expected to visit Guyana in late March to strengthen relations between the two countries, the government said Friday.

Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, will arrive March 26 with Adm. James Stavridis, chief of Florida's U.S. Southern Command, said government spokeswoman Elisabeth Harper. They will meet with President Bharrat Jagdeo and other top officials of the former British colony that has been wracked by violence.

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador David Robinson said the U.S. wants to reinforce ties with the South American country. An agenda for the visit has not been set.

The U.S. has invested millions in helping Guyana fight an HIV/AIDS epidemic, stationing a doctor from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the capital of Georgetown. It also is helping British officials boost the country's police force, which is battling a surge in violence, with 23 people being killed in recent weeks.

However, officials also have criticized Guyana for not cracking down on drug trafficking to the United States.